tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67781766312172882152024-03-29T03:29:47.982+00:00My Family and Other CricketersJayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-25116375294679834202015-03-02T11:19:00.000+00:002015-03-02T20:43:15.704+00:00A Much Needed BreakAnother month or more seems to have passed in the blink of an eye and still I'm an absent blogger! I'm trying (and failing) to catch up on my favourite blogs but the Bloglovin feed is enormous and I get further and further behind.<br />
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I have so many things happening all of which I fail to photograph or write about and I miss that community I was a part of; I really must try harder as my teachers used to say!<br />
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Life is as busy as ever with the Winter cricket schedule, GCSE's for Number 2 son imminent and gymnastics and cricket for Little Miss. I'm not sure how the exams are likely to go for Number 2 as he keeps us at arms length most of the time, his teenage outbursts show no signs of diminishing. They are often fuelled by his sugar addiction and I still try to hide any treats we have in the house! (And we don't have that many anyway) The list of hiding places for the packed lunch snack bars has almost been exhausted - we've gone from inside the tumble dryer, a plant pot on a high shelf, in a variety of pretty storage tins, inside a china hamper. In a picnic bag on top of the freezer to inside the ironing basket under the clothes - all these places have been found as has the cooking chocloate! He's not too clever though as the wrappers are still in his pockets and the trail of crumbs always leads to him! My most ingenious plan was to hide them in a tin, on the kitchen worktop, marked biscuits - however that was soon discovered!<br />
The latest hiding place (which we're likely to forget about too) is in the hall, can you see them?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_Lv0Tz9TzS2gl6kkJOW7I4LpUov88pwtcj_EdfvlADx1dANZLesdZd89UUdgzPJGWamv39uCv7muO2p3S54FtKHibI7Ek0A1tTVliEIW8zTEX5OMEGCwBZediflMVdpKDL2WuHGwmT0/s1600/P3020793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_Lv0Tz9TzS2gl6kkJOW7I4LpUov88pwtcj_EdfvlADx1dANZLesdZd89UUdgzPJGWamv39uCv7muO2p3S54FtKHibI7Ek0A1tTVliEIW8zTEX5OMEGCwBZediflMVdpKDL2WuHGwmT0/s1600/P3020793.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">look closely on top of the beam</td></tr>
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In other news The Builder and I took a whistle stop trip to Prague in the Czechoslovakian Republic, booked over Christmas as a treat to us. Little Miss stayed with my Mum for 3 nights and Number 2 stayed home alone - we were very unsure about this but other than manhandling a six footer into the car kidnap style we had no choice as he refused to budge! He actually managed to cope and get up for school better than on any other day but that didn't stop us worrying!<br />
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We left home in the early hours of last Wednesday for a 6.45am flight from London Stansted. It's been a long time since we've been able to fly from Stansted and I'd forgotten how close it is to us, only an hour and a half - and how easy is it to fly with just a cabin bag and no kids???<br />
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So we arrived in Prague in time for breakfast which included some hot mulled wine and a bun!! We behaved like kids who'd escaped home for a few days (which in effect we had) and I was tiddly by 11am! We giggled a lot and staggered to our hotel for a midday nap! </div>
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Whatever would the kids think.........</div>
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We stayed at The Savic Hotel which was lovely and near the old town square - I think! It had heaps of character in the old building and we stayed on the forth floor which had an abundance of ceiling beams and quirky steps and beautiful stonework.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBpVr-06Fgh_Hb_wg0aZZBfaA32wy-PUphCmdrf8GM3oKI4T7f6wwy0UatTKyYURp0E-fQoGEGpPngJfqybpou7LWNWlUfpzIcJ6bPrzhIU_4PK1J0biHhAxu-SCSjBth-1TVTM9XUKg/s1600/P1060905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBpVr-06Fgh_Hb_wg0aZZBfaA32wy-PUphCmdrf8GM3oKI4T7f6wwy0UatTKyYURp0E-fQoGEGpPngJfqybpou7LWNWlUfpzIcJ6bPrzhIU_4PK1J0biHhAxu-SCSjBth-1TVTM9XUKg/s1600/P1060905.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a lounge area on the landing</td></tr>
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The hotel was very reasonably priced and came almost top on Tripadvisor which was why we chose it; it was also near to the Old Square and the main street with shops and nightlife. I say we think it was because whilst every day or evening it took us just about 10-15 minutes to get back to the hotel from wherever we were it actually took us well over an hour to get anywhere from the hotel, we walked in many circles and often, after half an hour or more of walking found ourselves in the spot we'd started from. Never have I been so lost on so many occasions - and I do have history of getting lost I can assure you!<br />
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We visited the Castle, a fair distance up hill, which was beautiful and the church within it's wall which was spectacular. It was worth the entrance price and we spent quite some time there. It is apparently the largest castle complex in the world, and it was huge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the castle taken from Charles Bridge, you can see the top of the cathedral in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Charles Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting closer to the castle</td></tr>
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We watched the changing of the guard, a far more elaborate event than in London. </div>
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See the brass section at the windows?</div>
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Within the castle walls is St Vitus Cathedral, again spectacular but very difficult to photograph. It was very tall and just inside the castle complex so standing far back to get it all in the picture wasn't an option.<br />
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We also had a wander round the torture chamber!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YX0tW095PGeCDL9D3JZKwl0Esyju8I7BaMPMWYAXgQ6-1bct7quMCUOENXHKwHq23z1sDwcceMTjuiqIX0nn4axyS5B2uPR7yjzfRgPDWdRtKxgosdE1qDIyAXgYeEx3G8OBTDWHOUg/s1600/P1060902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YX0tW095PGeCDL9D3JZKwl0Esyju8I7BaMPMWYAXgQ6-1bct7quMCUOENXHKwHq23z1sDwcceMTjuiqIX0nn4axyS5B2uPR7yjzfRgPDWdRtKxgosdE1qDIyAXgYeEx3G8OBTDWHOUg/s1600/P1060902.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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And saw the Crown Jewels!</div>
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What lovely blue skies we had too, perfect weather for wandering around a new place. As the temperature was due to be roughly the same as in the UK I had expected weather the same, but no. What I have never realised was quite how unique our English weather can be, when it's Winter here we expect the cold to be accompanied by rain, wind and often snow or hail. The weather in Prague was just beautiful as well as being cold. The sky was bright blue, the sun shining and no wind at all. So very different to home, and how nice it was to be wrapped up but still sitting outside for a coffee (or a hot wine...again!)<br />
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We enjoyed some lovely food and more hot wine, but most of all enjoyed some quality time together.<br />
We saw some of the nightlife, something we've not done on holiday for many a year. And nightlife has certainly changed... or maybe that's just Prague? I'm fairly open minded and the topless (and often bottomless) pole dancers on the bar in several places we went to for a drink didn't bother me, it made for interesting people watching of the others in the bar though!<br />
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We even got into the art of the "selfie"!<br />
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We did a lot of sitting and enjoying the view and the company but the time went very quickly, we only had 2 nights there and we were back in the UK by lunchtime Friday - not long enough really.</div>
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Now a trip away for us must involve a calamity of some sort, you may remember previous stories? Well this was no exception! We decided to travel just one stop on the underground Metro, due to getting lost and having very achy feet. We found it easily enough and followed the crowd onto the platform. We couldn't see where to buy a ticket so assumed we'd pay at the end (we'd seen no one else pay), however this is not possible! Anyway we were randomly stopped by an 8 foot tall policeman/guard who asked for our tickets, we explained we hadn't found where to pay and had followed everyone else, we offered to pay whatever the fare was and apologised profusely but he was having none of it and we were fined about £50 as fare dodgers - how embarrassing to be marched to a cashpoint machine and made to pay around £50! I guess the other option was arrest!!</div>
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You knew there'd be a disaster story somewhere didn't you?!</div>
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Anyway we're aiming to have a lot more getaways in the future, avoiding imprisonment obviously!</div>
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See you soon</div>
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com306tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-48188949837350628352015-01-12T10:36:00.001+00:002015-01-12T11:10:26.895+00:00Feeling hot, hot, hot!I thought I'd elaborate a little on these up and down hormones I'm experiencing at the moment; judging by the comments and emails I've received I'm not the only one suffering!<br />
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Now suffering is too strong a word I know and actually the symptoms I'm experiencing could be far worse and certainly are for others. However they are a problem and I've been surfing the net to find out more - it makes interesting reading and there's lots I wish I'd known a while ago!<br />
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I had no trouble through puberty and never had any problems on a monthly basis, maybe I got a bit "moody" (others will tell you I did) but actually never any pain or discomfort for me and always 28 days apart to the minute!<br />
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However at this end of the hormonal scale things are a little different and boy don't they go on for what feels like a lifetime?! As I approached 40 things started to change on a monthly basis, dates became muddled and didn't always follow the calendar and I got very anaemic. I felt generally under the weather, tired and run down and was also gaining weight quite rapidly. It doesn't help when one of you good friends is the practice nurse at your local surgery and when you tell her you haven't eaten for a week and have still gained 5lb's she points out you went out for a pizza and bottle of wine with her 2 nights before!<br />
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However as she also pointed out I had 3 young children, a home, a business and had just started a part time office job - no wonder I was a little "under the weather"! After very many doctors appointments and a little discussion about early menopause (family history of this) it was deemed I had started the downward spiral to old age (that's how it felt not actually what it was!) </div>
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However after a while it was also discovered I had an underactive thyroid gland and this </div>
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was causing a good many of the symptoms. </div>
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It took around 2 years to regulate my thyroid and get the dose of thyroxine right, </div>
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and some of the symptoms remained.</div>
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I noticed also that global warming had come to Norfolk and would wander around the house in a T-shirt due to the increased temperature. This was a permanent thing, not hot flashes or flushes. I turned the heating down in Winter and asked for the fan heater to be taken out of the room at work. I noticed that others were huddled in their duffel coats but it didn't register at the time! </div>
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It very gradually dawned on me that the temperature thing may be just me. And then the hot sweats started, with avengence! I do find that one of the most embarrassing things, a little trickle of persperation may just run down the side of my very red face from time to time and bears to relation to the temperature of the room, or indeed the freezing conditions I may be standing in. Mopping my brow while everyone else is cold and piling on the layers is so strange! I've tried to find the triggers for the "hot moments" without luck. I've removed caffeine for a while but it didn't help, any hot drink seems to trigger a flush, even hot water. I removed alcohol, which seemed to help very slightly but as I drink about twice a year as a rule (except in the last few months - but that's another story!) it wasn't much help. The worst trigger of all, one I hate, is contact with another person - if I hold hands I get a clammy palm, if The Builder throws an arm around me I immediately go red and feel the hot sweat start from my knees and go upward - </div>
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not a sign of passion either! I don't sleep well anymore (another symptom) but lying in bed with one leg dangling on the floor and wafting the duvet about doesn't help.</div>
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However what I have discovered and what has become the most difficult to handle for many reasons is the anxiety. You may remember my complete panic and feelings of inadequacy at the change of job about a year ago. I didn't connect the two at the time but it has recently become clear. This is a common symptom with the menopause, anxiety, depression and feelings of panic - going hand in hand with feelings of being inadequate.</div>
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Obviously not everyone gets all the symptoms, I have a friend of 72 who is still waiting for the first sign of menopause (apart from the fact her periods stopped some years ago).</div>
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But for me it does explain the fact that our slight hiccup in family and marital life, something which would have been brushed aside years ago is so hard to process and get past. I have got over similar and worse things before although a part of me thinks "actually I'm nearly 50, the kids are getting older, I'm not taking any sh*t anymore". </div>
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But I know my reaction is massively disproportionate to the event, which really is minor. </div>
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The menopause websites and forums do make reassuring reading and I hope that I nearing the end???</div>
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Anyway....in other news.... we have a 12 year old birthday to celebrate tomorrow, sadly a school and gymnastics day/evening but she wants a Chinese takeaway on Wednesday and a few friends over for a movie and popcorn on Sunday, with a chocolate cake made to her specification, which was "surprise me with something spectacular" No pressure then!....</div>
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And then on Monday I go for my annual check-in to the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.ragdalehall.co.uk/">asylum</a>, </span>I can't get there quick enough!<br />
My friend is picking me up first thing Monday morning and we'll stop for morning coffee on the way, and then stop for lunch (well it is a 3 hour journey!) then she has assured me that the ladies in white coats will wheelchair or carry me from the car to my first treatment bed - if the ladies in white coats are not available my friend has promised to carry me to the nearest horizontal surface herself!<br />
I've packed a bottle of Prosecco (or 2, well we are there for 3 nights, hot flushes here I come!), some fudge and 2 plastic champagne flutes - we've moved up market from drinking<br />
out of the toothbrush mug!</div>
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So I'll see you after my short break, I hope all is well with you?</div>
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Lots of love</div>
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Jay</div>
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xx</div>
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ps I hope the above wasn't too much information but I'd had lots of comments and emails from people who were feeling similar.<br />
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-86699245504092090892015-01-04T15:09:00.000+00:002015-01-04T15:09:06.060+00:00The start of a New Year, Hello 2015!<div style="text-align: center;">
Hello all, this is again quite a brief post as I try to bring myself back to somewhere near normal; </div>
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my normal anyway!</div>
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Christmas is over and the decorations are down (only just), the pine needles have clogged the hoover and will remain stuck to my slippers for some months!</div>
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We had our Christmas Eve traditional visit to<span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holt,_Norfolk" style="background-color: white;">Holt</a><span style="background-color: white;">,</span></span> a beautiful market town in Norfolk which is always a feast for the eyes over Christmas. A feast for the tummy too if you know where to go, and we do! Christmas was pretty quiet, we had my Mum over for the day (first time in several years) and much effort was made on both sides to create a little family harmony. Of course Number 1 son was home from University and very quickly dropped back into lazy mode, </div>
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but we enjoyed having him home none the less.</div>
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The younger 2 had their final cricket trials just before Christmas, Little Miss attempting to gain entry to the girls Under 13 Norfolk squad and Number 2 son trying for the Under 17's (boys, obviously) - he's only 15 but they don't have an Under 16 team. A difficult one for him as it's exams in the Summer term (cricket term) and as he's trying for Under 17's he's battling against older boys. Number 1 son remains part of the Under 19 squad and didn't have to trial (and it is a trial for us as well as them!)</div>
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The good news is that all 3 children are now representing their county for cricket! Hooray for them. The downside is obviously that we'll be trundling about the country even more, and I struggled to cope with the timetable of matches and training last year! And the cost, don't even get me started - new kit, travelling, overnight stays for 2 day matches, petrol, time off work........</div>
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New Year was celebrated quietly at a friends house, it should have been a party but only us and 1 other family of 4 turned up - not the wildest night I've ever had!</div>
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And after a lot of time off work and studies we are now about to get back to normal, Number 1 son left the house half an hour ago for the journey back to Uni, and I'm very teary eyed!</div>
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But onwards and upwards, it's a fresh start!</div>
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I'm afraid I didn't take 1 single photo throughout the whole festive holiday, my bloggy head well and truly fell off, and I can't actually remember how to be a blogger at the moment - </div>
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I hope it'll come back to me soon.</div>
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Thank you for all the sweet, kind and thoughtful comments and emails they are very much appreciated. I'm still struggling and seem to have got everything way out of proportion, I feel sure these weird hormones are causing much of the upset and panic, despite not being the trigger. The tears are just below the surface all the time, this is so unusual for me.</div>
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I've researched a bit and these feelings often go hand in hand with the hot flushes etc although I thought I was fine I do remember my extreme panic a year ago when my job changed and I felt (uncharacteristically) out of my depth.</div>
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So with everyone back at their respective places of study by Tuesday and me back to work I will try to catch up on the blogs I've so much enjoyed in 2014 and will leave comments to say Hi.</div>
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Thank you once again for the caring messages and a very Healthy, Happy and Safe 2015 </div>
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from me to all of you.</div>
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xxx</div>
<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-51908450223352723932014-12-22T20:31:00.001+00:002014-12-22T20:31:10.031+00:00Merry Christmas from me to you<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-fyaqHEx0jHWhrYkb57Bqq2AGNNj08cVCnLaLKYyX81RGHcOmDOHR9ryv509UL2Xns_Ha3dei7YdMWFvtwoPvBK9Wd2zGyqXU_eXH8nxA2bi95B-AwM_CXwlsdgHD0ZzCNxiOj2jGCw/s1600/merry+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-fyaqHEx0jHWhrYkb57Bqq2AGNNj08cVCnLaLKYyX81RGHcOmDOHR9ryv509UL2Xns_Ha3dei7YdMWFvtwoPvBK9Wd2zGyqXU_eXH8nxA2bi95B-AwM_CXwlsdgHD0ZzCNxiOj2jGCw/s1600/merry+christmas.jpg" height="224" width="400" /></a></div>
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A very Merry Christmas from me to you.</div>
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I'm sorry to have been absent for such a long time, and absent from your blogs too,</div>
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it wasn't my intention to be away so long.</div>
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We had a little life hiccup mid- October which rather threw me into a tailspin.</div>
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Nothing too worry about, no illness or worse.</div>
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I really needed to hide for a bit but now what I need to do is to give myself a good shake, an even bigger talking to and get back to real life!</div>
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I've never been a person prone to "low" moments but I was completely thrown for a while, menopausal hormones possibly made things worse!</div>
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I aim to recharge over Christmas and be back to my normal self in the New Year.</div>
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Many thanks to everyone who contacted me, either by commenting or by email, you truly are some lovely people and it was very much appreciated.</div>
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It really helped to have real-life friends around and many blog-friends at the other end of the pc.</div>
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Just to put a positive spin on things, I've lost nearly a stone in weight so every cloud........</div>
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Now pass me the double chocolate, steamed, melting-in-the-middle pudding!!</div>
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Sending lots of love & see you in 2015!</div>
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Jay</div>
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xxx</div>
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-33791275448525233092014-11-03T08:25:00.000+00:002014-11-03T08:25:18.591+00:00Just to say......that I am still here!<br />
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Things have turned a bit strange at home and I'm needing to hide myself under the duvet for a while, just to "re-group".<br />
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I'm afraid I haven't even dipped into blogland to read or comment so I apologise, and thank you to those who got in touch concerned about my absence - don't worry, it'll be ok in the end!!<br />
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See you soon</div>
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Jay</div>
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xx</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-6940913820892623142014-10-03T18:39:00.003+01:002014-10-04T08:51:59.243+01:00When the cat's away.....<div style="text-align: center;">
It's been a stressful week (when isn't it?) . Number 1 son has sent more text messages and emails (from all 3 of his email accounts) sometimes all coming at the same time (that boy can certainly multi-task) than I can count. There's hardly been time to move away from a screen...he's needed his medical form (it was in his bag) he needed his online banking details (it was in a folder marked banking; in his bag) he needed more books, could we possibly order them (who's paying?) He needed more contact lenses, could we possibly post them (why didn't he take them <b>all, </b>they're the size of a pea (almost)). Could we post the phone charger, a shirt and more other things than I can count!</div>
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He's also made me feel incredibly guilty as he's turning into me<br />
(not in a sex change kind of way!) and is worrying about everything.<br />
He was worried that if he joined the gym he wouldn't know how to use the equipment, but if he went with a gym-tastic friend who did know he'd look silly. </div>
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When he did join the gym he sent many texts to say he thought he'd joined the wrong gym</div>
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(there are 2 main one's on campus) and he'd also paid the wrong fee!</div>
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He's worried that the course is far too hard and everyone else understands it except him. He was worried that he was too hungover to follow the first lecture (who's fault is that?) </div>
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He has worried about absolutely everything.....just like I do! He's wanted to change the course, drop out (but not leave his halls and come home) and run away and hide. Today he seems like he may have turned a corner and I've had fewer messages and all of them a little happier. </div>
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It's not stopped me worrying though!!</div>
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It was a tough week at work too, I know I'm not full time but it still felt like a very long week.<br />
I still have no clue what I'm doing and very many letters landed on my desk on Monday from unhappy clients! It did (after a sleepless night) turn out to be an error at the other end of the line and nothing to do with me (or the company I work for!) When one of my colleagues showed me the heap of letters she had also from clients I must admit to blurting out "I'm so pleased!".</div>
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And then my dear Gran has been taken poorly again, and spent another night in hospital. I had a message from my Dad to say he was on his way from Wales with the rest of the dragons in tow and would I meet him there. Luckily now I no longer have a school run to do I could manage the hour and a half journey there to coincide with his arrival - </div>
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she was being discharged from hospital and being taken back to her care home. </div>
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He'd been told by the doctor that time was very short and if we wanted to visit it would be best to do so sooner rather than later. I'd made a decision some time ago that my children had seen her for the last time, I preferred them to remember the Gran they've always known, the one who chased The Builder around the room with her stick when he dared to suggest she'd bought her house newly built - it was built around 1900! I can't believe that it's not quite 12 months since <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/ooh-where-to-start.html">my visit to her</a>,</span> when she was noticeably more frail and a little confused. We had a few giggles but I was worried about leaving her. She had insisted on that trip that I give her a new hair-do, "being that you're a hairdresser" (I've never been a hairdresser!) and also introduced me to her neighbour as "my Grandaughter who's got 3 sons you know".</div>
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She's been at the care home for most of this year, and has deteriorated an awful lot, I guess it's not a surprise as she is 94, but it's not so nice to see. She seems to be mentally in quite a happy place as she believes she's out in the car on day trips most days!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gran with her son, his 2 daughters and 1 of her great-grandaughters - <br />
I'm the short-arse in the middle at the back - I'm the product of a 5' Mum and a 6'4" Dad</td></tr>
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Anyway she was delivered back from the hospital and in true Gran style sat up at the table and wolfed down sausage and mash, strawberry cheesecake and a mug of tea! </div>
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We had a nice chat and then I left as she dozed; it was a good visit and I know</div>
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there won't be many more.</div>
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But this weekend is all about ME!<br />
The Builder is away to Butlins with 9 friends to boogie (or more likely drink) his way around a dance floor with a cheesy 80's backdrop of bands </div>
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(some real, some look-a-likey). </div>
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It's an excuse to unwind and he does need it; </div>
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it's very much a case of "what happens in Skegness, stays in Skegness"!</div>
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I may ridicule the venue, I do, many, many times! But we did have a very nice Christmas break there as a family a few years ago, the kids enjoyed it but we were sworn to secrecy -<br />
we must never, ever, tell their friends!<br />
So if you know any of their friends please feel free to drop it into conversation......</div>
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And while the cat is away, what should the mouse do? Well I've cleaned the house and fumigated his pile of grubby work clothes. I've invited a friend and her boys over tonight, and another friend over tomorrow evening when Little Miss also has a sleepover for her 2 best friends.</div>
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We're having a takeaway tonight, and then maybe a spot of pudding!!<br />
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and it wouldn't be a proper meal without chocolate would it?<br />
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Anyone want to join my pudding club?</div>
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Actually I may call off the friends visiting, send the kids to bed early and have a weekend alone.....just me and my sweet tooth.....<br />
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Well that is if I survive the weekend without being shipped off to A & E (rest assured I'd grab the banoffee pie on the way out), I've just gone the length of my bedroom a la skating on ice!<br />
It appears that The Builder sprayed his shoes with Mr Sheen polish before he left (he is good, he cleans them every year!) and he seems to have sprayed the floor<br />
(and not wiped it up) - the floorboards are as skiddy as a glacier! </div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-25837531888475466052014-09-27T16:14:00.000+01:002014-09-28T00:18:50.721+01:00Will we have a hat trick?Well Number 1 son was delivered to Uni on Tuesday, it was all very exciting and a little scary too.<br />
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We drove up in 3 hours (I'm thinking that's do-able in an emergency - or if I just need to give him a hug) and drove onto the campus and straight to the door of his halls. Outside the main block students were all about to help you unload and also had a DJ playing music outside the main building. As we stepped out of the car the loud rap music blared out "mothef***r, motherf***r" which was a little surprising and not ever so welcoming! It then segued nicely into "Walking on Sunshine" in an 80's disco kind of way - covering all tastes there.... all very bizarre!<br />
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His room is like a small cell with no room to swing a cat, luckily cats aren't allowed so that's not a problem! He has two huge notice boards on each side of the room which looked useful; until we saw the small sign saying you mustn't use sticky tape, pins or tac (blue or white) on these boards - maybe he'll have to go back to play group and use flour and water glue! Pretty handy notice boards then.......<br />
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Poor quality photos taken on my poor quality phone, I forgot the camera!</div>
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And this photo and/or dress appears to make my body look like that of a middle aged </div>
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round shaped lady! I'm also still trying to grow my hair into, well, something! </div>
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We unpacked his stuff and realised how poorly equipped he actually was! As he's in catered halls we were told that all kitchen equipment is supplied (he's only catered Mon-Fri) I don't know but 2 small saucepans and 1 frying pan just doesn 't seem enough for 4 people?? That was all the equipment there was, unles there's a huge stocked cupboard which we just couldn't find.</div>
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He'd also turfed out all the tins of baked beans which I'd boxed up for him before we left home as he thought I'd over done it - he then realised he'd only bought 1 tin with him - hopefully that'll keep him going til Christmas!</div>
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I made his bed, probably the only time it will ever actually be made, I stored the change of bed linen in the cupboard and warned him it had better be used!<br />
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We managed to slide his huge cricket bag under the desk to avoid it taking up the entire floor space and introduced ourselves to his neighbour. The lad in the next door room had a crate of Pot Noodles and a crate of beer - he was very well equipped!<br />
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Number 1 son got himself signed up for a few things and then we had a trip to Tesco for fresh supplies, he can only cook one pasta dish involving white wine and fresh cream, I imagine his shopping list will never include those 2 items again!<br />
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So we left him there late afternoon and he found out that night that his cricket trial for the top flight uni cricketers (he's not top flight but it's worth a shot) was in the middle of Fresher's week - is that a deliberate move to test commitment?<br />
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We drove from Loughborough home via Norwich to catch the end of Little Miss's County cricket trial. As I said before a lot goes on in the County set up which doesn't seem quite right - money/name/school/business etc talks it seems. Anyway all the girls trialling had been told before the session started that they were all through to the next round! Hooray you might think, and we did indeed congratulate her and celebrate with a McFlurry. All I will add is that the first 2 trial sessions are free, if you go through to the next round the trials cost £50, and they all went through....make of that what you will; I'm saying no more!<br />
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So maybe all 3 of them will eventually <strike>pay</strike> ahem, I mean play for Norfolk?</div>
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Eating a McFlurry on the run for tea isn't exactly nutritious, not helped by the text from Number 1 son to say Uni food is fab, beef and mushroom stroganoff and key lime pie!</div>
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Anyway Number 2 son is also through to the next round of his trails at Under 17 level, there is a lot more I could say about this also (although he certainly deserves a place in the squad) but you never know who's reading the blog! I'm fairly sure if I spoke out too much it wouldn't help their cricket careers. A friends son, in a younger age group, is a superb bowler and his statistics for 2014 place him number 2 in the country (that's <i>country</i> not county) for his age; he's just been overlooked for the emerging players programme in Norfolk! Sums it all up really!!<br />
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Anyway we heard late last night that Number 1 son hasn't made it to the next round of trials at Uni (as expected) but now trials again at the next level down so there will be no let up in the amount of cricket played, maybe a little less driving about for us though! Well I say less driving, The Builder had to be talked out of driving back to Loughborough to watch Number 1's indoor practice session!!</div>
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I must say we've heard far more from him in the last few days than we did at home in the last few years; even a text at 10 to 5 this morning saying he was off to bed - obviously we didn't see it at that time!</div>
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The cricket season should have finished, and I thought maybe a little DIY and gardening could be on the cards, sadly The Builder is currently up at the pitch tending to the grass and anything else which needs doing before Winter - bug**r the grass at home then!</div>
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We do have a night out planned though, a trip the the theatre to see To Kill A Mockingbird, one of my very favourite books. I've read it several times and seen it at the theatre once before, it was the best thing play I've ever seen - I hope this production is as good. </div>
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And I hope The Builder doesn't nod off!</div>
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Have a great rest-of-the-weekend!</div>
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Jay</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com92tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-50673532740691648112014-09-19T08:51:00.000+01:002014-09-19T08:51:57.421+01:00And breath......(and sniffle!)So we've reached the end of the summer, and the end of the cricket season, at last. We have one more match at the weekend, and this is not a competitive match. The whole family will play (except me, obviously!) as it's a memorial match and the opposition are the family and friends of a young player who sadly lost his life in an accident some years ago. It's not a sad day, it's a day for memories and seeing old friends and enjoying a few beers, a barbecue and some fun together.<br />
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But of course it never really ends, the indoor net sessions have already started and the trials for County Cricket start this week. I thought the pressure would be off this year as Number 1 son will be away at Uni (gulp) when his age group trial and Number 2 son is now at the age where (in Norfolk) they don't have a County team - something to do with it being exam year I think. However Number 2 went off on Wednesday to launch an assault on the under 17's and, would you believe it, Little Miss went last night to trial for the girls Under 13's! She's not very good (or that interested if truth be told) but she doesn't like to be left out and there are very few girls playing cricket, so you never know!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-okYz_1GR1plvC0gOme4ZnrnRFhPwS2aajSZwt0jJkYVpDfw_bFIin3Qnt8q49x6A9RX1gHDmzx2pXY4uWid2VXEZ9Xd405i_TMHwFC55Y9uJSHN5ztmfKsOw9zGIL01_JJ_1fFCGr8/s1600/P1060634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-okYz_1GR1plvC0gOme4ZnrnRFhPwS2aajSZwt0jJkYVpDfw_bFIin3Qnt8q49x6A9RX1gHDmzx2pXY4uWid2VXEZ9Xd405i_TMHwFC55Y9uJSHN5ztmfKsOw9zGIL01_JJ_1fFCGr8/s1600/P1060634.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>I have failed miserably to keep on top of the garden, as I have every other year before this one! I harvested all the remaining carrots, the parsnips seem to be all leaves and not much else, the beetroot has been pickled and I've had quite a few tomatoes - despite the tiny grow bags and pots and lack of canes.<br />
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I'm extremely happy to be eating a few home grown potatoes...especially as I didn't plant any!</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">We are having a good harvest of fruit, mainly because little effort is required. The pear & almond tarts have gone down a treat, I'll stash a few in the freezer - I love a good tart/cake/pudding/pastry!</span></div>
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The weeding has completely lost me and there's a lot of work needs doing, The Builder should be available to help (and maybe fix that broken window which he "strimmed" earlier in the year and which remains shattered) I may try to tidy it up before winter but.....you know....I've lost momentum!<br />
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I've also lost momentum in blogging, both writing and reading - too much on my mind it seems. The start of High School for Little Miss has gone as smoothly as it could,</div>
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and the move to university for Number 1 happens next Tuesday. </div>
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I am, at the moment swaying between excitement for him and a wobbly lip</div>
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at the thought of leaving him there! </div>
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I may book a weekend away for The Builder and I, and it may or may not be in the direction of Loughborough! </div>
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I've told Number 1 that I'm planning to visit him every weekend, just so he doesn't get lonely.....he gives me an odd look which says a tiny percentage of him thinks I just might!</div>
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I have packed umpteen tins of baked beans and a frying pan, not sure if he needs much else?</div>
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I've bought him a new duvet and lovely bed linen - he thought I'd gone mad! </div>
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Wish me luck, I'll have a handbag full of tissues!</div>
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And Number 2 son, ah what can I say? He remains the same, arguing with me at every opportunity, as I said before, I really must "stop being such an idiot"...apparently!<br />
This year will be full of exams for him so I'll be investing in a hard hat!<br />
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We finished the "big job" which The Builder has been on all Summer and which has caused us a good deal of worry and stress, I had hoped to start spending the profit on my hidden "must do" list but unfortunately funds don't stretch to even half way down the list. We can invest in a new boiler and some garden fencing, essential but not really what I had in mind - I actually wanted a carpet, the outside of the house painted and some pretty new china - we're lucky Number 1 is leaving as we don't have enough plates to eat together any more!<br />
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We've also had an issue with a neighbour which has been rumbling for several years. It's really got to me now and, as is always the case, the person who shouts the loudest gets heard - I must remember to shout louder in future! As The Builder says it's very difficult to reason with an unreasonable person!<br />
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But in amongst all of the above there have been some lovely moments to brighten my days, emails from fellow bloggers always put a smile on my face and there are many of you out there who I'd love to have a night out on the tiles with. I received a card from <a href="http://tlcukjourney.blogspot.co.uk/">Tammy,</a> .....just because; and a gift from <a href="http://lucyvioletvintage.blogspot.co.uk/">Kylie</a> which put a smile on several faces! <br />
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If you don't really understand cricket just enlarge the tea towel and read the print, it'll all become clear!!<br />
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I also unexpectedly received a couple of vouchers, one for coffee and cake for two (I love cake, did I mention that?) and the other for a spa day, a gift from our Kiwi cricketer who has now moved out of the garage and is on his way home - he's already asked if we'll have him back next year. </div>
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Would it be rude to say "yes only if I can have another spa day voucher!?</div>
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So I will be back soon, we're trying to slow down and enjoy life a bit more, I went for a massage yesterday (it was free - I love a freebie almost as much as I love a good cake!) </div>
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and have lined up a few theatre nights out in Norwich. </div>
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The Builder has agreed to come with me to see To Kill A Mockingbird - one of my favourites and the weird lady from cricket is coming with me to see Lord Of The Flies, the Matthew Bourne version - so that'll be interesting and I'm sure very entertaining!</div>
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See you all soon</div>
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Jay</div>
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xx</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-80296615744464772452014-09-08T09:32:00.002+01:002014-09-08T17:06:11.935+01:00 Summer CelebrationI thought I'd do a few mini roundups of our Summer, although we didn't seem to do much this year. The boy's cricket, work and The Builder's slipped disc and arthritic hip problems managed to take up far more of the school holidays than expected. And now 2 are back at school and Number 1 son is preparing for university. Well actually he's out with friends and sleeping mainly, if he were any more laid back he'd be unconscious!<br />
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The run up to A Level results day was a little stressful, he'd finished the exams some time ago and didn't feel they'd gone very well, as time went on he convinced us he'd probably failed! </div>
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His first choice of university was Loughborough, mainly for it's sporting reputation. I have to say on visiting the campus on open day the sports facilities were jaw droppingly impressive - and that's coming from a very non-sportswoman. They have an Olympic pool, football pitches, several gyms, athletic track and, most importantly it's the home of the ECB National Academy (England Cricket Board), as well as having a superb cricket pitch in the middle of the campus.</div>
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However we discounted this option early on in view of his anticipated results. His insurance choice was a bit of a random, spur of the moment decision and he regretted it. The day before results day he decided to reject the second choice of Uni - the call came "how do I do that Mum?" I Googled and found that you can withdraw from a choice up to 7 days before results day; this was roughly 7 hours before! The boy who has done virtually nothing for 6 weeks decided, the night before, he wants to change his choice! </div>
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He was in a huge panic and almost in tears so we wrote down a very long plan of action for the following morning which involved phoning other universities (lists of names, courses and telephone numbers) to ask (beg, plead) if they'd consider him, names and numbers of colleges to ask if he could re-take the failed exams, right through to looking for a job! We both had a sleepless night and I was staring, bleary eyed, at the UCAS website from 6am - </div>
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it was due to go live at 8am. </div>
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The Builder had to leave for cricket in some far off county at 6.45am so wasn't around. </div>
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At 7.30 the site changed and we both stared at the screen and a shaky hand pressed the "enter" button.We both stared with puzzled faces as it flashed up "you are accepted at your first choice of university,Loughborough" - what does that actually say and what does it actually mean?? we both peered at the screen for minutes and I may have been staring through teary eyes!</div>
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He phoned The Builder immediately in his usual laid back, dead pan voice to tell him the news - we just heard a roar at the other end! The Builder has said he would give anything to have had the opportunity to go to a place like Loughborough - if he didn't have to do any writing!</div>
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So we went to pick up his results sheet from college with a happy heart and I treated him to coffee and cake in John Lewis (oh I know it was a treat for me mainly!) He then went off to celebrate as all bar 1 of his mates had got into the places they wanted to, we saw very little of him that night although his Twitter account was a little "slurry"! The next day he resumed his laid back, can't get out of bed mode and managed to miss his slot for accommodation! He's got the complete opposite to what he wanted - although I'm happy that he's in a catered hall. He wanted self-catered as it would give him more beer money - how much could a weekly shop cost??</div>
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More than £10?? (he's in for a shock I know)</div>
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He then also managed to miss the time slot for accommodation swaps, so he isn't moving. I hope he finds some get-up-and-go before he leaves home on the 23rd.</div>
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We are very proud of him and I'm going to miss him terribly!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only photo from our celebration meal out!</td></tr>
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<br />Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-23995625856014170492014-09-05T20:13:00.000+01:002014-09-05T20:13:12.460+01:00Our Trip to LondonIt's been a busy summer and I've not been near a computer very often so not only am I very behind on writing this here blog I'm also missing so many of my friends posts too. Now it's just about school time I'm going to try to get into more of a routine, I want to carry on blogging, I'm really getting so much pleasure from all the new friends I've made this year but sometimes, you know, life just get's in the way. There have been lots of happenings, too numerous to mention all. Suffice to say we had a worrying 10 days in August awaiting A Level results, a GCSE result and the ballet grade 3 results - all went well, but that's another story!<br />
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You may remember some time back I asked for advice about hotels for a trip to London I was planning. Well I booked the train tickets when they were cheap, I really wanted to book something for the weekend right next to my birthday, to avoid previous disasters and miserable days! I had planned on booking a Travelodge or similar and the Bethnal Green one was recommended but I kept waiting for one more pay day and the prices seemed to be creeping up! Eventually I tried to book and discovered something you may think is obvious but what hadn't occurred to me - the prices are a lot more for a Saturday night than a Friday! But after some searching and Googling I took a gamble and booked a "secret hotel" on Lastminute.com. I discovered that if you Google around enough you can find out actually which hotel is listed; so I plunged in and booked.<br />
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Turns out we did quite well, a hotel called The Grange St Paul's, opposite St Paul's Cathedral. Little Miss was over the moon as it had a swimming pool and our room had robes and slippers! We got about £50 off the hotel's website offer which was discounted from their normal price.<br />
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Straight off our train we headed to Ripley's Believe It Or Not, we had pre-paid tickets bought with Tesco vouchers, in fact all our food and two of the trips were courtesy of Tesco. Ripley's was actually better than we'd expected (especially as we weren't paying full price!) The top right of the collage is a knitted Ferrari! I thought of the many knitty/crochet-y bloggers when I saw this.<br />
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Centre is the hotel, bottom left is the glass bridge overlooking the lounge and breakfast area (we couldn't afford to eat there) and finally is how I spent the first evening, my new book and fizzy wine - nothing better than that!<br />
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On the Saturday morning we were meeting an Aussie friend who has just started a 2 year contract teaching in London, this was her first weekend in the capital, we had met her 4 years ago when her then boyfriend was that years "man in our garage" (overseas cricketer in the self contained flat before anyone calls the police!)We caught up on everyone's news then spent a couple of hours browsing the 5 floors of Hamley's toy shop - top of Little Miss's to-do list.<br />
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Bottom right of the collage is Little Miss's nails painted by a Hamley's demonstrator, </div>
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a strawberry and a Minion were her favourites.</div>
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Saturday afternoon we made our way over to The Cambridge Theatre to see Matilda, I don't know who was more excited (actually I do, it was me!)</div>
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We had front row seats, a bit of a crick in the neck but a wonderful view of everything. The show was amazing but what Little Miss didn't know until the intermission was that Mrs Wormwood (Matilda's Mum) was meeting us after the show to show us around backstage! </div>
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This had been arranged by her ballet teacher who used to work in West End shows.</div>
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We also got to the stage door in time to see the cast do their ice-bucket challenge!</div>
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I can highly recommend Matilda, it was a superb show, the whole cast were wonderful. </div>
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Mrs Wormwood also kept our programme and posted it on to us signed by the cast, </div>
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I'm still excited by the whole experience, Little Miss is over it already!</div>
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Saturday evening we ate out (Thank God for Tesco vouchers) and then had a swim, once back in our room I was sound asleep and Little Miss had to turn off the TV and lights!</div>
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On Sunday we had another swim before we checked out, ate a huge breakfast at the restaurant next door and went for a tour of The Tower of London, I think I saw the Crown Jewels once on a school trip but I don't remember ever looking around the Tower. We had exchanged more Tesco vouchers to get in and spent as long as we could before the train home looking around, there was so much more to see than I realised, it helped that we had a lovely sunny day for it.</div>
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The ceramic poppies were an amazing and very moving sight.</div>
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They were still being planted by volunteers.</div>
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Our Beefeater was a very good tour guide, as I'm sure they all are. We learnt a lot, he was an ex-army officer and had, at one time, guarded Rudolf Hess when he was brought to England. </div>
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And from the Tower we made our way home, after 2 ice creams for £5 - the most expensive thing we ate all weekend I think! We missed our connecting train from Norwich but a kind Sister-in-Law picked us up (the boys were at cricket and couldn't possibly be disturbed)</div>
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So all in all a very jam-packed weekend, lots of giggles and memories made. We will definitely be repeating the experience.</div>
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I'll be back soon, enjoy your weekend where ever you are.</div>
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x</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-39606853049125032962014-08-24T23:15:00.001+01:002014-08-24T23:15:59.723+01:00In search of Lynne ......I have so many things to write about, the Summer is whizzing by and there are things to blog about but little time to put fingers to keyboard!<br />
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But today I thought I'd write a short post about our afternoon out to a craft fair where I'd hoped to meet up with fellow Norfolk blogger , Lynne. Lynne writes her blog at <a href="http://textiletreasury.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Textile Treasury</span></a><span style="color: magenta;">,</span> where she shows us her beautiful makes as well as other things, Lynne sounds like a lovely person and someone I'd like to say Hello to . When she blogged about a craft fair, not too distant from me, on Saturday and Sunday, I thought this would be my chance to have a day out and maybe introduce myself. I was also very much looking forward to seeing the items which Lynne would be exhibiting .<br />
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As usual in this house things rarely go according to plan, well my plan anyway! I thought that a craft fair, which included a farm shop and cafe, would be an ideal trip out on a weekend when the boys were all at cricket- if I stay home Little Miss gets bored and I get cross and the others are out playing games while I just do extra housework.<br />
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Saturday was already accounted for as we had a cricket tea to prepare (I supply the cakes and send them with hubby, I don't usually turn up to serve them!) It was the last match of the season and a sumptious feast was all ready for delivery. Little Miss and I were due a trip into Norwich to meet a friend and buy school shoes. But Sunday was a craft fair possibility.<br />
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As usual events conspired against us - the constant knocking noise on my car has now got so loud I can hear it over the turned-up radio so it needed attention! As it's MOT time I couldn't leave it any longer, but a friend agreed to check it over - he was only free on Sunday! That's ok, I can attempt the 40 minute drive in The Builder's truck, if I take it carefully down these little Norfolk roads; then I was informed that the cricket for Sunday was called off - apparently they're playing Monday now - oh joy! I thought it was unlikely that the boys would agree to a craft fair but the younger two made other plans and The Builder agreed, quite happily it seemed, to take me. It later transpired he had an ulterior motive but thus far I was oblivious.<br />
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After dropping the car off and picking up Number 1 son from where he'd ended up last night we rounded up Little Miss and set off, SatNav in hand. The Builder was very cheerful which was a surprise as it's safe to say, without meaning to cause offence, that arts and craft fairs are not really his "thing"!<br />
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Now the problem in these North Norfolk villages is the lack of mobile and internet connection, which at that point in time would have been useful. I had the village name, and the postcode but could only remember that the fair was at a venue with garden in the name. This didn't seem to be a problem as we entered the village and immediately saw signs for the Garden Fete, this was easy we thought and hastily pulled off the road and parked the truck. We realised that after all the shenanigans of the morning it was already nearly 2pm and the fair ended at 4pm! Anyhoo that's not a problem, we jumped out of the truck and followed other people through a field and into a magnificent tunnel under the road (apparently built around 1803)<br />
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It seemed a little odd as we came across the bric a brac stall, this wasn't really what I'd been expecting! And then the tombola, with a bottle of ketchup and some Pringles trying to draw us in! The raffle was even less exciting, Little Miss wanted to buy a few tickets at £1 each to try to win a packet of Loom Bands (worth 90p) but we swerved that. The "guess the name of the horse" was a bit random with a real live horse wandering about, as was the man dressed as one of the 118 chaps from the advert! Splat the rat was something I hadn't seen in a while too!<br />
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But where were the craft stalls, and more importantly where was Lynne? Time was running out and nothing crafty was to be seen....it eventually dawned on us that we were actually at a small village fete in the garden of a hall, not the actual event we'd been hoping to attend! I assumed that I'd got the wrong post code, the wrong village and quite possibly (given our usual travelling catastrophes) the wrong county!<br />
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We admitted defeat and retreated back into Holt for a coffee and scone in Byfords - our Christmas Eve venue. At that point we had internet connection and found out where we actually should have been. Sadly by then it was 3.35 and too late to try again.<br />
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The Builder seemed happy for us to make our way home via another little Norfolk village, at this point the ulterior motive became apparent. He wanted to catch a rival team's cricket match, not far out of Holt, and check their score. Apparently they are rivals for either the league top spot or both trying to avoid relegation - I pay so much attention I can't be sure! We sat at the village green for a while and watched as other members of our club arrived to watch, at that point Little Miss and I drove home in the truck leaving hubby standing on the boundary - I assume someone will give him a lift home!<br />
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I've also realised that with my birthday imminent and with nothing seemingly arranged, The Builder obviously thought he could probably buy me something suitable at a craft fair, that being the reason for him agreeing to the outing! In view of<a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/happy-birthday-to-meand-what-was-your.html"><span style="color: red;"> previous years</span></a> my work colleagues have much enjoyed making suggestions for this year - a trip to Lords, maybe tickets for a test match? Or what about a new flask for the away matches.....he wouldn't dare; would he??<br />
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So I'm sorry we didn't meet today Lynne, I did try, hopefully there'll be another time!Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-26221036402329748482014-08-12T17:08:00.000+01:002014-08-12T18:48:27.304+01:00Liebster Blog Award....part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And finally...my list of 11 questions for those taking the baton from me on the Liebster Award, which was passed to me by Christine at<span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://christinascolourfullive.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">A Colourful Life</span></a></span></div>
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I have two nominees who have agreed/volunteered to take part</div>
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Libby at<span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://d-scribes.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">D-Scribes</span></a></span> and Caroline at<span style="color: magenta;"> <a href="http://mrsmsmeanderings.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: magenta;">Mrs M's Meanderings</span></a></span></div>
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I feel bad nominating people so please don't feel obliged, I know it's time consuming but it is quite fun too. Would CJ at <span style="color: magenta;"><a href="http://cjabovetheriver.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="background-color: white;">Above the River</span></span></a><span style="background-color: white;">, </span></span>Penny at <a href="http://pennyshenhouse.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: magenta;">The Hen House</span></a><span style="color: red;">,</span> and Tammy at <a href="http://tlcukjourney.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">My Journey</span></a> like to join in?</div>
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And please volunteer if you'd like to take part and have the award on your blog, you should have less than 200 followers but I can't see the number on everyone's blog so hopefully I've nominated blogs which fall into this category.</div>
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I hope my questions are ok, please miss any out you'd prefer not to answer!</div>
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1) What would you do on your ideal day? </div>
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2) What did you want to be "when you grew up"? And did you achieve it?</div>
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3 Tattoos and/or piercings; do you have any, do you love/hate them?</div>
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4) Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?</div>
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5) What are you reading right now?</div>
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6) Serious theatre or musicals; or do you not visit the theatre?</div>
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7) Do you have a secret crush? (famous person or otherwise!)</div>
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8) Who knows about your blog, or is it secret?</div>
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9) Would your ideal holiday (if funds were unlimited) involve seeing more of your own country or worldwide travel?</div>
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10) If you could rescue one item from your house in the event of a disaster what would it be? (family and pets aside)</div>
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11) If you were invited to a fancy dress party would you get excited, have a head brimming with ideas and immediately throw yourself into creating a fabulous outfit or do you struggle and wish it wasn't fancy dress?</div>
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Well there are my 11 random questions off the top of my head this morning! I was going to think on this for a while but time is getting on and I've been such a slow coach completing this challenge.</div>
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The weeks of Summer are moving on very quickly and I feel we haven't really done much.</div>
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So here are a few photos of our Summer up to now, photos and few words!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPWhlfVlRx37qFzOud7WqytuZNmWS6evutRhCxky0ZveEJaZDFhyphenhyphen6xQjcnGczWbkCTiXAVJIPsrMVdDHjIG6VpConCX53SOBi3-WMXkCVpANcN87oShfKaTdogA50U5XHclnCDJbpVqM/s1600/P7220553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPWhlfVlRx37qFzOud7WqytuZNmWS6evutRhCxky0ZveEJaZDFhyphenhyphen6xQjcnGczWbkCTiXAVJIPsrMVdDHjIG6VpConCX53SOBi3-WMXkCVpANcN87oShfKaTdogA50U5XHclnCDJbpVqM/s1600/P7220553.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Pf_yxQ9H6YipJZ_qrDshKUaYreV-Tu_HBQQ0XkTmdzWX8uj3xh6tsn98i6SKROVAYM7tu-mVUdkHFa5tyDxeKZ2vGoPd8DMu-Luguj9-J7f-WAgHHDVmHREmuKZb80g5t15XXYserj4/s1600/P7230598+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Pf_yxQ9H6YipJZ_qrDshKUaYreV-Tu_HBQQ0XkTmdzWX8uj3xh6tsn98i6SKROVAYM7tu-mVUdkHFa5tyDxeKZ2vGoPd8DMu-Luguj9-J7f-WAgHHDVmHREmuKZb80g5t15XXYserj4/s1600/P7230598+-+Copy.JPG" height="320" width="165" /></a>The last day of Primary School, I do have some lovely photos from school and the after party but mostly they also involve other children so I thought it was best not to post them here.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQu8F4zHIpM6mb7u1XgjkzaYs6o4Azvj-sJUyGk3MO_FbZBlvuT1kjn2xamKIlQAzsokvo7VaZVYL8F8sUIWbK7r4OxmHESRP0085Px7bvNKjxoJLbuvKM8bNwkzJ8ymA-h8xk5yglmk0/s1600/P1060613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQu8F4zHIpM6mb7u1XgjkzaYs6o4Azvj-sJUyGk3MO_FbZBlvuT1kjn2xamKIlQAzsokvo7VaZVYL8F8sUIWbK7r4OxmHESRP0085Px7bvNKjxoJLbuvKM8bNwkzJ8ymA-h8xk5yglmk0/s1600/P1060613.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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Apricot harvest<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home grown carrot man!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOcPbdpisCAsQxxqz8eROa0ZS5j6N0MB_fVgWmHS6SuxJQ8N7OtX1A3WaA7ls9V1bRWaQx9hnKNslfkotGk3NabflefPyAIlF4ZYLeO0BrLMW0xp5yId3mbrnR6qUSZ50dEmwHOWbl1I/s1600/P1060633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOcPbdpisCAsQxxqz8eROa0ZS5j6N0MB_fVgWmHS6SuxJQ8N7OtX1A3WaA7ls9V1bRWaQx9hnKNslfkotGk3NabflefPyAIlF4ZYLeO0BrLMW0xp5yId3mbrnR6qUSZ50dEmwHOWbl1I/s1600/P1060633.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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Tomatoes doing well despite the slap dash gardener!<br />
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An unexpectedly pretty corner of the garden, borrowing the neighbours roses!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">veggie patch no longer looking it's best</td></tr>
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Cooking apples nearly ready for a pie, but plums not so good; a bit spotty and some are rotting before ripe<br />
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We'll have plenty of pears again though<br />
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Bubbles and Poppet have enjoyed being outside this Summer,<br />
not so much in the tail end of the hurricane though!<br />
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And our first ever "selfie" taken at my friends 50th birthday party; a stunning out in the woods,<br />
riverside party. The theme was Midsummer Night Dream<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look closely you'll see that the bunting in knicker shaped!</td></tr>
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I hope I looked a little like Titania (although I know I didn't, I'm not good at dressing up) . We didn't stay late into the evening as The Builder was doing a good impression of Bottom;<br />
oh no that's not the word, I mean an ar*e!!<br />
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So that's a little round-up; long overdue - but you know how it is, busy, busy, busy.<br />
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We'll have a busy few days ahead as it's results day on Thursday for Number 1 son,<br />
who is not at all confident that it'll go well.<br />
And we have 3 cricket matches before we even reach the weekend, which will be a weekend full of cricket!<br />
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-1617501154665868072014-08-07T22:06:00.001+01:002014-08-08T18:36:18.072+01:00Liebster Blog Award....Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sorry for the long delay, I told you this would take me some time!<br />
<br />
In the second part of the award I answer 11 questions set for me by <span style="color: magenta;"><a href="http://christinascolourfullive.blogspot.co.uk/">Christina</a>, </span>so without further ado, here goes....<br />
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<span style="color: red;">1) What or who inspired to start a blog?</span><br />
My best friend wrote a blog some years ago and that got me into reading various favourite blogs. My friend has long since given up writing but, over time, I felt I wanted to "join the party". I've actually never told my friend I've joined in, as far as I'm aware no one knows, other than my immediate family, and they're not interested! So I guess my best friend inspired me, although she doesn't know it.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">2) Do you have any pet hates?</span><br />
Yes I do! It's bad English; bad punctuation, grammar and spelling. And incorrect use of words. That's not to say I do it properly myself! And I hate the use of "like" before everything (at risk of sounding like a 100 year old). My kids know that I will always pick them up on that, "were you only like annoyed or actually annoyed?"<br />
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<span style="color: red;">3) What magazines subscriptions do you have?</span><br />
Sadly I have none, I used to get House Beautiful which started as a 6 month subscription gift from a friend; I managed to keep it going for 2 years which my husband thinks was a mistake on the publishers part! Although I enjoyed reading it/looking at the pictures I did find it overpriced and just made me dissatisfied with my own home.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">4) Do you avoid walking under ladders or have any other superstitions?</span><br />
No, I'm not superstitious at all. Although I think I believe in Karma.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">5) Describe the art on your living room wall.</span><br />
I like this question! The art on the wall is very varied, I would love to invest in very good art work when I see something I love but funds have never permitted me to do so.<br />
We have this which is just a print called Maternity, I saw it years ago and bought it for our first home, where it seemed huge on the tiny wall.<br />
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We have this watercolour, painted for us by my sister in law. She painted it from a series of photographs we took the year before in Wales, her partner framed it and they gave it to us as a wedding gift, inside is a wedding invitation, so they told us.<br />
I love this one.<br />
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We also have a signed photograph of Sir Ian Botham doing something memorable at Lords I believe!</div>
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A gift I gave to The Builder one Christmas.</div>
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We also have a trio of tiny watercolours depicting scenes on The Norfolk Broads, I bought these from our local Post Office years ago and made them fit a frame I had, that's why they're a little wonky in the frame!</div>
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We also have a couple of other watercolours, one a local scene and the other a village cricket pitch which I gave to The Builder as a 1st wedding anniversary gift (paper) - and which I forgot to photograph.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">6) The last concert you went to?</span></div>
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Embarrassingly that would be The Boomtown Rats at the local university common room, not that long ago. Actually I'm not embarrassed, they were great and I wasn't allowed to see them the first time around (late 1970's)</div>
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<span style="color: red;">7) If you would invite one person to dinner who would it be?</span></div>
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This is the hardest question and took a lot of thought. If we're talking a famous person there are many, maybe Bono (because I love him) or Stephen Fry because he's so interesting and intelligent (I wouldn't be able to chat to him though, I'd feel so thick) but actually it would be my Grandad, just to ask him if I've done ok.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">8) What are you wearing right now? </span></div>
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Now I could go and change or I could lie; but if I'm honest it's leggings and a baggy jumper, I do have black pearl earrings in if that helps?</div>
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<span style="color: red;">9) What type of holiday do you enjoy most?</span></div>
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Very definitely the beach and the sunshine. I like to see new places and maybe when life's stresses have diminished we'll sight see more but right now it's relaxing somewhere sunny. I love to swim and snorkel, the only thing we all do together really. I once snorkelled a long way out to sea whilst pregnant and towing a toddler behind me who was tied to my middle with a rope! I always feel happy in water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on the left, snorkelling with the kids in Mexico;<br />
I know what you're thinking "that's an attractive look for a middle aged lady"!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;">10) What is the naughtiest thing you have done as a child?</span></div>
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I was never that naughty, just moody and stroppy! I did once get sent to the headmistress for hiding in the cloakroom at playtime (this was infants school), I actually didn't go to see the head and hid again as the head was my Aunt! I didn't get told off for that and assumed they never found out - it was a tiny school of course they must have known!</div>
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<span style="color: red;">11) Do you have or did you ever have a role model?</span></div>
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I don't think I have. My biggest influence was probably my Grandparents who I spent most of my time with but I don't think I wanted to be like them. I did admire Auntie Dorothy, with her big coiffured hair (with a slight blue tinge) who dressed immaculately and went to Italy to buy her shoes (in the days when no one went abroad).</div>
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My very working class family used to laugh about her, she had no children and had staff to help with housework (although they lived in a relatively small flat above their shop). Once, when we met her in the high street, she told my Grandma that she would have to lay down for the afternoon as she was exhausted, due to her having to "prepared a turnip" for supper! My Grandma walked away sniggering and muttering but from that day I wanted to be Auntie Dorothy!</div>
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So the final part of the award is where I set 11 questions for 11 fellow bloggers; however I don't want to land this on anyone who may not have the time. Let me know if you'd like to take part and I'll link you in the part 3. Libby at <a href="http://d-scribes.blogspot.co.uk/">D-Scibe</a>s has already joined in with her first list which makes great reading, so hopefully she'll answer my questions next....when I think of some!<br />
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Hope you're all enjoying August so far, whether that's your Summer or your Winter!</div>
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Jay</div>
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x</div>
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-6715544306358755042014-08-02T12:33:00.001+01:002014-08-02T12:33:36.013+01:00A Proud Mum Moment!<div style="text-align: center;">
Can you see my gleaming smile from wherever you are? It's not the sun it's me, beaming!</div>
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Do you remember <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/trials-and-tribulations.html"><span style="color: red;">this post</span></a> </span>from ages ago (2012)? And then further disappointment when Number 1 son was once again overlooked for County selection. My nerves were in tatters as he decided to trial once again during the winter of 2013; he'd trialled for the County team since he was 9 years old and failed to make it every year despite his younger brother being selected. There are lots of aspects to selection it seems, not all of them based on your ability, if you get my drift! </div>
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It can be very elitist and so, so unfair at times.</div>
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Anyway in this Autumn of 2013 I was able, at last, to write <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/some-news.html">this post</a> </span>and we were all over the moon at the tenacity and talent of our biggest boy. As he's a man of few words and is very laid back his reaction was a little tame but I'm guessing he went to bed with a very cheesy grin that night.</div>
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Well yesterday was his debut for the County Under 19 team, to say I was nervous doesn't come anywhere near to describing how I felt, I was nearly reduced to tears before we got into the car! It was a long trip to Woodall Spa in Lincolnshire for an early start. We left home, all of us, at 7am and I panicked all the way that we would break down/get stuck behind a lorry/tractor of which there are hundreds on the road to Lincolnshire or just generally be late!</div>
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Number 1 son hid his feelings well but I'm sure he had a few butterflies in his tummy. </div>
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Norfolk fielded first which meant he was under a little less pressure, he didn't have too much to do as he wasn't selected to bowl.<br />
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Fielding in the background<br />
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Then after tea it was Norfolk's turn to bat, The Builder whispered to me that Number 1 may be an opener - which means he'd be in the first pair of batsmen to take to the field. I had palpitations at this point, as Number 1 exited the pavilion he looked over to us and said "I'm having 1" very confidently. I didn't know what he meant, was he aiming to get only 1 run? Apparently he was very confident in his ability and asked to face the first ball of the innings which means no time to settle into the crease<br />
(middle of the pitch, where they run) - and that he was batsman number 1<br />
(how appropriate that his name is Number 1 too ;-))</div>
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Listen to me gone all crickety!!</div>
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To say I was a bundle of nerves doesn't come close, I was hot, red, shaky and terrified.<br />
But he hit it and scored 4 runs as it went to the boundary (edge of the pitch).</div>
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Oh my goodness did I clap, and relax ever so slightly! I had worried so much as this season, for his club, he's faced some terrific bowling and got out for 3 ducks (0).</div>
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And guess what happened next, I can't quite believe I'm typing this (and as I write it I'm welling up a bit) he batted right through to the end of the match, scoring a total of 81 runs, he didn't get out and was the highest run scorer!</div>
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Could you hear us cheering?</div>
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Being clapped off the pitch by team mates and opposition<br />
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I so want to say to the selectors "Look what you've been missing over the years" but I won't!</div>
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So sorry to be a cricket bore, it 's not something you'll see often! We've had a lot of stresses over the past few weeks (which are set to continue and put a dampener on the Summer hols for a few more weeks yet) but nothing, and I mean NOTHING will put a dampener on this!</div>
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He has worked so hard at his cricket and tried his best every year, for so many years he absolutely deserves it - his debut couldn't have gone better and we are so very proud of him!</div>
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I'll be back with the next bit of the Liebster Award post very soon, have a great weekend!</div>
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x</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-9669475655681527802014-07-31T18:21:00.000+01:002014-08-02T07:43:20.818+01:00Liebster Blog Award<br />
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Hi!</div>
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I hope you're all enjoying the Summer? Thank you for all the comments and kind words after my down in the dumps posts recently - Gran continues to be the same, but I've managed to see and speak to her a few times.</div>
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I disappeared for a while there but I'm back. Lots of things have got in the way of blogging but I failed to photograph most of them and if I just write about what's been happening</div>
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it may turn into a very loooong post!</div>
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Anyway a little while ago Christina from <a href="http://christinascolourfullive.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">A Colourful Life</span></a> passed the Liebster Blog Award to me, thank you very much Christina, I'll do my best!</div>
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The Liebster Blog Award is a blogger- to- blogger nomination which promotes blogs with less than 200 followers. I know some people prefer to be award/list free, but I'm really happy to receive it. </div>
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It's also reminded me that I was passed The Sunshine Award by Tammy (who's blog link seems to be broken just now) a while back and although I produced the required post I didn't attach the award to my sidebar - I'll put that on my to-do list.</div>
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This task is as follows -</div>
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1) Write 11 random facts about myself</div>
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2) Answer Christina's 11 questions</div>
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3) Nominate 11 bloggers and ask them 11 questions</div>
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Gosh number 3 just ain't going to happen, Please take the baton if you feel you have time and would like to, I'd love to read your lists. I'll complete the task in bits , starting with my 11 random facts - this part seems easy!</div>
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Here goes..... (I did a <a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/ten-random-things.html"><span style="color: blue;">random 10</span></a> list a while back so I'll apologise now if I'm repeating myself!)</div>
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1) I love live music, although don't go to as many concerts as I'd like. From one a couple of years ago I sent a text to Number 1 son saying "Mum's in the mosh pit" to which a fast reply came "how can that even be possible?"</div>
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2) I've always had long nails, even in school. I hated having them cut and they're as strong as, well, nails!</div>
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4) I wanted to be a make up artist for TV in London, but before I got the chance I met my husband and the rest is history.</div>
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5) I have a huge phobia of losing touch with people. I would write to someone I'd only sat next to on the bus if I could.</div>
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6) I love to swim, the only sport I'm really willing to do!</div>
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7) I absolutely do not understand the rules of cricket, despite sitting on the boundary for approximately 35 years! It doesn't help my addled brain that the rules are slightly different in every age group; and I have people IN every age group!</div>
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8) I'm a bit strange when it comes to hanging out my washing. I will not hang any underwear on the linen line, and socks can only hang if they're in pairs and all facing the same way. I once left my best friend alone in my house while I popped out for 10 minutes and returned to find she'd hung all my bras on the line!</div>
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9) I think I could easily live in a health spa!</div>
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10) Where I actually want to live is in a house not far from the beach, in more sunny climes.</div>
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11) My love of reading comes, I think, from an inspirational and very dramatic English teacher at High School; similarly my hatred of Maths comes from a very useless teacher at High School.</div>
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Not the most interesting of lists I'm afraid, I'll do the next part where I answer </div>
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Christina's questions as soon as I can.</div>
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We're in Lincolnshire tomorrow as Number 1 son has his debut in the Under 19's County Squad. </div>
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I have never been more terrified in my life!!</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-26366026871967131992014-07-21T12:10:00.000+01:002014-07-21T12:10:52.345+01:00Life is a roller coaster, apparently!It's been a funny week in this house, so many ups and downs that I'm starting to feel a little queasy; and I want to get off, please.<br />
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The two boys have both finished school for the summer break and are spending their days sleeping, when they're not playing or practising cricket. Little Miss is due to leave primary school on Wednesday but is a little under the weather and home with me today. High temperature and a sore throat, I think this is the first time this year she's been off poorly. I hope she doesn't have to miss the leavers assembly tomorrow and the disco on Wednesday, although after loving our village primary school and helping and volunteering to fund raise there over the past 17 years we have had to make a complaint about them in the last couple of weeks. I NEVER complain about school, I'm very laid back and tend to tell the kids to rise above issues and get over it. Maybe I've been too laid back in the past but once I get a bee in my bonnet (yes the wasps nest is still outside my bedroom door if you were wondering) I don't let it go. I have telephoned, written and emailed the head teacher and failed to get any response, so now I'm really cross! Only two more days to go, so I should try to keep calm!<br />
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Number 2 son, who captained his club Under 15's cricket team to a win in the Norfolk ECB cup (I think that was it's title, I pay very little attention!) took them to the next round and won again. They now have to go to a National finals day in Warwickshire next Monday. So that was a huge achievement and we all get a day out on a coach!! (that reminds me of coach trips to the seaside when I was a child with my two elderly Grandparents!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Number 2, mid-bowl</td></tr>
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But then I made yet another balls up at work and have spent the week worrying about the consequences! I was given a new job to do many months ago and have not really had any training so I keep making mistakes, and when I get things right I worry that they are actually wrong but no one is there to help. I'm not good at this anymore and actually want to leave and lock myself in the kitchen at home baking cakes!<br />
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But we did have the cricket club boat trip and that was a bit of fun on a very warm evening. The whole family went but, much to their embarrassment, I decided to drink a whole bottle of wine and giggle a lot. The stress of the week finally got to me, and I don't normally drink at all!<br />
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Some of the lovely riverside houses, you can see what they're watching on TV from the boat!<br />
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Some of the photos got decidedly wobbly after this!</div>
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On the river we passed<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://www.stbenetsabbey.org/">St. Benet's Abbey</a>,</span></span> a very picturesque spot with lots of history attached.</div>
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Although not much remains this was apparently the only Abbey not closed down by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries </div>
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The history of the Abbey goes back much further than that and attracts many visitors. </div>
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You get a very good view from the river and there were walkers around it that evening too.</div>
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The wildlife is suburb around these fields too.</div>
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But then my Dad arrived for a brief visit from Wales, <a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/waiting-for-gran.html">my Gran,</a> his Mum, who you may remember from previous posts has now become quite frail, over the past 12 months. She left her home in Devon and moved into a care home in Suffolk, to be nearer to family as none of us lived anywhere near her in Devon.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Since she's been in the home and had no responsibility and no work to do, she seems to have gone down hill, I guess it's not surprising she is, after all, 94. But it is surprising to those who know her, and upsetting.</div>
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Anyway she had been taken into hospital with one or two issues, which in itself confused her enormously. Dad arrived to stay with us and visit her daily, although being in Ipswich hospital she was a good hour and a half from us. He visited her 4 days on the trot and I went with him twice, </div>
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each day the hospital advised she would be discharged and each day they changed their minds! </div>
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On Saturday we visited and she seemed so much better, she even made a speech to thank everyone for their help and support! We waved her off in the ambulance as she was discharged and being taken back to the care home, we watched her leave as she waved and blew kisses to us.</div>
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After a two hour journey where we got stuck some way behind an accident, we were 20 minutes from home when we received a call to say the ambulance had turned around and taken her</div>
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back to hospital as she wasn't well again, with what we do not know!</div>
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So poor Gran is back in hospital until maybe later today or tomorrow, or maybe longer I suppose.</div>
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I'll try to visit again this week, either the hospital or the home, but I wish she was her old fun loving self again.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">taken in 2005</td></tr>
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So it's been an uppy downy kind of week or so. </div>
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And I'm a bit tired. </div>
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If you need me I'll be under the kitchen table rocking backwards and forwards!!</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-51619902927916425752014-07-13T13:54:00.000+01:002014-07-13T16:46:24.804+01:00It's all growing over here!I'll try to do a garden update as I'm quite please with the vegetable growing, however the weeds are growing faster than I can pull them out so parts of the garden are disappointing right now.<br />
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The few things I planted in the old bath tub haven't done so well. I usually fill this up with salad leaves but this year tried some beetroot and parsnips; they don't seem to like growing in a tub though.<br />
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The lettuce isn't as good as in previous years either, maybe it's the soil I used? </div>
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The tomatoes have been doing fine although they are so big now I don't think the grow bag is big enough to contain them, looks like lots of little fruits appearing though so fingers crossed </div>
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they'll survive long enough to go red.</div>
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The strawberries appear to be loving their grow bag and are covered in lush green leaves, </div>
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sadly not one single fruit though!</div>
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Anyway the little plot I dug for myself is doing rather better.</div>
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I had also planted some of the beetroot in here and it's grown fabulously, really huge. So with that in mind I dug another foot of garden and transplanted some of the beetroot and parsnips from the old bath tub and put them into the plot - they seem to like the move.</div>
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So somewhere behind the re-growing bonfire which is certainly an eyesore....</div>
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you find some goodies!<br />
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The weeny carrots have been perfect for eating raw in packed lunches, and they were very tasty!</div>
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The beetroot I roasted with olive oil and sea salt, my favourite! However The Builder tells me he prefers it pickled so that's my next job, hope they don't all complain about the stinky house! </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I will enjoy more roasted beetroot myself and will next time make a mental note to try not to rush off to A & E the following day after a look into the toilet! I am prone to diagnosing myself with deadly diseases and was almost on the phone to the NHS helpline before it dawned on me what beetroot can do to a body overnight!</div>
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The fruit trees have been enjoying the rain, we have a great harvest this year, something we haven't had for the past few summers.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZxn1MrQMyFz8JhunsWjcCm7dpjQ1uJUr2Cm9sbKFz0XK438vfHk6x6YVvJfeSHvaTUIqhU9Nxn-Dy4dh2N-irAT9IrwKYran7ORSiJ0MuSWNB0Ew9pd773X5_jROgZXEcyUKzBarN1o/s1600/P6290129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzZxn1MrQMyFz8JhunsWjcCm7dpjQ1uJUr2Cm9sbKFz0XK438vfHk6x6YVvJfeSHvaTUIqhU9Nxn-Dy4dh2N-irAT9IrwKYran7ORSiJ0MuSWNB0Ew9pd773X5_jROgZXEcyUKzBarN1o/s1600/P6290129.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">plums</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGQhrBop-ntbDOJfYUwVaFvq78YBC_T93Y6IO-oG_Jl_0_jVOZ7NTxlH-sCqpXx6Y8dEngFAXCAYtlfYoy237U9XwAqN3xV0757xxbbFD6XSArY-BJjAs0PLZHKOEqzDPKkhdujqcyW8/s1600/P6290130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNGQhrBop-ntbDOJfYUwVaFvq78YBC_T93Y6IO-oG_Jl_0_jVOZ7NTxlH-sCqpXx6Y8dEngFAXCAYtlfYoy237U9XwAqN3xV0757xxbbFD6XSArY-BJjAs0PLZHKOEqzDPKkhdujqcyW8/s1600/P6290130.JPG" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">apricots - the first lot after a massive harvest 5 years ago</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGyEVF5BfGHVI_9Jb3G6ZgscvA7xhzt1XBalW7bhwNQvR0ow_S-YOXirgNGMpFY4MopbkklZGneDdEqt-vzmcchNnJAzU7q0UjYI6-eUJDzqM62IWKI9Ha0zF6zM6sqqVoRj1gyEGTo8/s1600/P6290131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGyEVF5BfGHVI_9Jb3G6ZgscvA7xhzt1XBalW7bhwNQvR0ow_S-YOXirgNGMpFY4MopbkklZGneDdEqt-vzmcchNnJAzU7q0UjYI6-eUJDzqM62IWKI9Ha0zF6zM6sqqVoRj1gyEGTo8/s1600/P6290131.JPG" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">conference pears</td></tr>
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Bramley Apples</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMhHYvkBPpM8ngHPl2CeNmvFZhehVGEQBIZZAtLBYxMgj2otNdM3FWU0RweQ_ocNErYWBR8bNOdhUVy2Xdq3bqa6iBfy02_URKRQSy5dbgwWN0AEjemIuzbRpoq0sJxHiK6seaRjW4z8/s1600/P7040164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMhHYvkBPpM8ngHPl2CeNmvFZhehVGEQBIZZAtLBYxMgj2otNdM3FWU0RweQ_ocNErYWBR8bNOdhUVy2Xdq3bqa6iBfy02_URKRQSy5dbgwWN0AEjemIuzbRpoq0sJxHiK6seaRjW4z8/s1600/P7040164.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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But also the lawn, or should I say patch of clover and weeds! There has been no time to cut the grass for weeks, every spare moment and spare person has been needed to help The Builder - Number 1 son tried his hand at most things; I say hand - only one hand was available at anytime as the other was gripping his mobile phone. No doubt tweeting his hard work!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIypmDnyixZg44oosJmcfTGsdgcGiBZcuyod0MiqjBHrvTz9GzjkUINso9SECtEIPeQev29QASli_fXUJUKWVHehrF9MnsH6PLUt-Xo8AUaAJyPiErlls4-S5z7R4VdDfaSGgp4Zu5Zk/s1600/P7130544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIypmDnyixZg44oosJmcfTGsdgcGiBZcuyod0MiqjBHrvTz9GzjkUINso9SECtEIPeQev29QASli_fXUJUKWVHehrF9MnsH6PLUt-Xo8AUaAJyPiErlls4-S5z7R4VdDfaSGgp4Zu5Zk/s1600/P7130544.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An un-mown meadow!</td></tr>
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I'm moving the guinea pig run everyday in the hope that they can eat enough grass to save us mowing it - maybe I'm confusing them with a goat?</div>
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And talking of growing, Little Miss complained some time ago that I always have a "boys haircut", she can't remember me with long hair.</div>
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I have difficult to manage hair, a tendency to frizz in hot sticky weather (and see previous post for the details of this tropical weather hovering around me) It is dyed so that doesn't help the condition so short is best for me. </div>
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It's had many incarnations over the years<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghp8CLe8XK20U3DXBzg7hCpvpzRKMqjSv7lBG9IA7bfnsRDpVQ7fYk-n-bQRkqmsKk-DScpO3FOp9a-azPrVnsQw99_E3SNyBD9GS1EUoRdH4xRr_4Mv9ooBbqF_buPhMzqM9CTygzo3E/s1600/420739_10150504344808587_1375927506_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghp8CLe8XK20U3DXBzg7hCpvpzRKMqjSv7lBG9IA7bfnsRDpVQ7fYk-n-bQRkqmsKk-DScpO3FOp9a-azPrVnsQw99_E3SNyBD9GS1EUoRdH4xRr_4Mv9ooBbqF_buPhMzqM9CTygzo3E/s1600/420739_10150504344808587_1375927506_n%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ears not suitable for short hair!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
But on her insistence I'm trying to grow it, into what I do not know.<br />
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Some styles were ok, some erm...not so good!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9zt9NV2xJT7ckX5pSWkYdGNn0oGwFdfbmMuzectSKAUU6xjbsiLUJpXkguOYVg4ADujS2pkbqUaltg9vqgmYvk63iHJBFq2LTDakNhb_AzAz3VzmMdT0NUgxdJdUKcVN5MoqmkmlZJQ/s1600/scan0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9zt9NV2xJT7ckX5pSWkYdGNn0oGwFdfbmMuzectSKAUU6xjbsiLUJpXkguOYVg4ADujS2pkbqUaltg9vqgmYvk63iHJBFq2LTDakNhb_AzAz3VzmMdT0NUgxdJdUKcVN5MoqmkmlZJQ/s1600/scan0007.jpg" height="320" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why, when I have frizzy hair, did I think a perm and red dye was suitable for a very hot holiday?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The only consistent thing in my almost 49 years is that I struggle to make it do what I want it to - short is still the easiest I think.<br />
Husband suggested this morning it looked like a mop!<br />
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Is it really that bad?<br />
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Gosh I've just realised that after hardly ever posting a photo of myself I've just given you hundreds to peruse... I hope you're suitable amused!</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-32870091106036930892014-07-07T18:43:00.001+01:002014-07-07T18:43:23.299+01:00When it all gets too much!Both the Builder and I have been a bit worn out lately, him working very hard to get a project finished to enable the payment to be released and me just generally dashing about.<br />
I've been trying to attend everything at school, usually late for most things but I'm trying! <br />
I'm also trying to work a few extra hours, not because I want to but because they pay me - actually what I want to do all day is stay at home and decorate, clean and garden (generally faff about as The Builder would say) - I'm a bit boring that way!<br />
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The builder has not been sleeping well partly to do with his "ladies hips"<span style="color: #660000;"> (<a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/whats-been-happening-at-our-place.html">see earlier post</a>)</span> and partly to do with the worry over his work. I'm not sleeping too well either, and that's due to these incredibly hot, sticky, tropical nights we're having in the East of England, sweltering aren't they?<br />
What did you say? They're not hot?<br />
Is it just this house then?<br />
It can't just be me surely, as I approach 50....??<br />
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Anyway the cricket schedule has been going at full pelt and it's hard to keep up, it should slow down slightly now as the school matches have finished. But as Number 2 son's team have won the County Cup and now go through to the Regional rounds I see more cricket and travelling ahead.<br />
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The inclement weather hasn't helped, matches are on, then off, then on again, then off again, then re-scheduled for another day! The wet ground is great for cricket kit, you know they play in white? Who's idea was that? Boys; dressed in white; running around on a muddy waterlogged field; skidding on their knees to catch a ball. This is what you get....<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTYd9SV4aBWp0Opue0tihXNjniMZgzIn1BxqVD9cvH7AaOXQbNLWRLCXoeAy_99r9icFgsbsxJUaPPK9iCifWmeNtR1ydvBK_AUOYgReNEQJHB2FDSp_S1Gjtt7fOEckV-JDXzQ4dd40/s1600/P1060511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTYd9SV4aBWp0Opue0tihXNjniMZgzIn1BxqVD9cvH7AaOXQbNLWRLCXoeAy_99r9icFgsbsxJUaPPK9iCifWmeNtR1ydvBK_AUOYgReNEQJHB2FDSp_S1Gjtt7fOEckV-JDXzQ4dd40/s1600/P1060511.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(You get muddy whites, not a wonky photo!) imagine this times 4, 3-4 days a week!</td></tr>
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Most Mondays my washing line looks like this, I think I've used this photo before, it's not recent and I can't for the life of me think why I'd have a photo of my washing line saved on the computer </div>
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if it wasn't for the blog!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJYoYw2S2TF1h8-fc1Y-LfaLnJ7Ymr6VuAmPfiqGrcfgM5zscYEzB3XbTitMo8EnZGB0clUGvVNa23u7JqqnWhdJfKk6LMC5eyXbaJPJEAazLqm2ehKJWDxDam_9xONaxX5Nf7fWjayU/s1600/washday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJYoYw2S2TF1h8-fc1Y-LfaLnJ7Ymr6VuAmPfiqGrcfgM5zscYEzB3XbTitMo8EnZGB0clUGvVNa23u7JqqnWhdJfKk6LMC5eyXbaJPJEAazLqm2ehKJWDxDam_9xONaxX5Nf7fWjayU/s1600/washday.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excuse the sorry state of the garden and the fence, I'd like to say it's being replaced soon, it's on the list but, <br />
well, you know the story!</td></tr>
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Well we try to keep up with life but sometimes, when there's an evening with no cricket (was there such an evening? Really?), and we sit in front of the TV for 5 minutes. We mean to have a chat, maybe a glass of something, once the kids are in bed or at least in their rooms. But more often than not it doesn't work out like that. One evening last week I woke up on the sofa, at 10pm, (I may or may not have been dribbling a little!). The Builder was snoring away on the other sofa and on my lap was a note....</div>
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Bless her little cotton socks!</div>
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Poor kids having such old, infirm parents (one of whom is hot, very, very hot!)!</div>
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Jay</div>
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xx</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-41478370091735729132014-07-04T17:34:00.000+01:002014-07-04T17:34:04.085+01:00Visitors, Travellers and Jam<div style="text-align: center;">
The latest news on the unwelcome visitors is that, well, they're still lingering unfortunately! The stingy, buzzy variety are sealed in the loft (and very possibly sealed into their nest) by a Heath Robinson cure, as usual. It may only be a temporary fix but when we have more time and money (when??) they will be dealt with more adequately, if in fact they're still alive.</div>
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As for the furry visitors outside, they're a little more tricky to deal with it seems; they're enjoying their stay with us far too much. They seem to like me in particular, that's the impression they give when they stare at me directly in the eyes for several minutes before slowly wandering off! We have a bait box and poison in position and I'm no longer feeding the birds. However there is a lot of seed on the ground mixed in with the soil and ivy so there's still a feast for them. They're cheeky little bu**ers though, I went to check the poison a couple of days ago only to find one sitting on top of it nibbling seed, and another leapt from the brick wall and just missed my head (well it felt like it just missed me, was probably a few feet away!) where it had climbed to check the bird feeder! There is now food and poison in every little nook and cranny, hopefully out of reach of the birds and neighbouring cat.</div>
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On a brighter note Number 1 son eventually (3 days after he left) contacted us from Corfu and is having a great time, he seems to go between having a great time and feeling a little ill - we don't know why!!<br />
He's due home later today and we're looking forward to seeing him enormously.<br />
The Builder is worried he won't be fit for tomorrow's match, can't say it's bothering me too much.<br />
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Number 2 son technically finishes school for his Summer break today, I say technically as he has a weeks work experience next week. Due to his extreme shyness (outside of the home) and his extreme bolshiness (inside of the home) he was refusing to go for work experience for a while. He hates things changing to an extreme but we eventually settled on him spending the week at his old primary school up the road.<br />
Familiar surroundings and some of the staff are the same, and it's an environment he feels safe and happy in - not that he's ever wanted to actually work as a teacher. He'll work 4 days there as on the 5th he has a county cricket match and that takes precedence; apparently. His sister is non too pleased at the possibility of him helping out in her class, or bossing her about as she puts it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlYcDWxonR2QNKJrTcDhQIQyeT1FZIw-ZwEVBIFusbkqAlsEGE8PxMs0LmXCJZsGIb9luWa7xhMvNfp-GWEht6odUOJnLPhuwdt73gpb9LUEjT7gVqqgIP4zUzg04jTSpidpH1s4xaIw/s1600/P7040153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlYcDWxonR2QNKJrTcDhQIQyeT1FZIw-ZwEVBIFusbkqAlsEGE8PxMs0LmXCJZsGIb9luWa7xhMvNfp-GWEht6odUOJnLPhuwdt73gpb9LUEjT7gVqqgIP4zUzg04jTSpidpH1s4xaIw/s1600/P7040153.JPG" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today was Little Miss's school sports day, the last one I'll ever attend most probably. I started attending sports day when Number 1 son was a toddler, I don't think I've ever missed one either - that's a lot of time spent avoiding the Mother's race! You don't get to watch at the high school sports day, well so my children tell me. So another "end of an era" has dawned; there are a few more to come in the next couple of weeks before my baby leaves and has to don a high school blazer (if they make one small enough - she's a little tiddler).<br />
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I am still building up to a garden update, I promise to do it soon, I've taken photos but not got myself and the pictures organised. It's not worthy of a big build up I'm afraid, the weeds are growing too fast and I can't keep up with the watering. It's a busy time of year (gardening aside) and some of the jobs I started show no signs of ever being finished. I did however manage to pick my blackcurrants,<br />
the birds made off with all the cherries and redcurrants....again!<br />
One year I'll beat the birds to them!<br />
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I love jam and chutney making, we have cupboards full of the stuff, no one really eats it!<br />
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So the cricketers tomorrow will have a treat for tea, a cream tea with home grown and home made blackcurrant jam - hope they appreciate it!<br />
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We're having a lot of sunshine here in this part of the UK, and I'm certainly enjoying it. I hope we have a sunny weekend, there's cricket and ballet for us over the weekend, but only Little Miss has school on Monday the other 2 have finished for the Summer break, sadly I still have to go to work!<br />
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Enjoy the weekend whatever you do and wherever you are.</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-3547779506216125272014-06-28T13:43:00.000+01:002014-06-28T13:43:32.433+01:00A ps to the last post, and other newsWould you believe that only 20 minutes after I pressed publish on the last post about our visitors we discovered this.......<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tr0DCvnsNFzJmN47VQ6lrUw7L98KNJ8pMdJSf5rFNN_epiFg0HfVhRiXVHwACid0O86x1ayngOT6ArNaa53EF70DhnXf9aigwm9spxzsM6TyPzeb1StpQfyJZuvjGo3aSrhTkZ5zXVk/s1600/P6260111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tr0DCvnsNFzJmN47VQ6lrUw7L98KNJ8pMdJSf5rFNN_epiFg0HfVhRiXVHwACid0O86x1ayngOT6ArNaa53EF70DhnXf9aigwm9spxzsM6TyPzeb1StpQfyJZuvjGo3aSrhTkZ5zXVk/s1600/P6260111.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's hard to see I know, the little blighters were fast! But it appears we have a wasps nest in the attic, an inaccessible part of the attic too! They had nibbled a tiny hole through the plasterboard which, after we poked it to see what the noise was, became a larger hole. Right outside our bedroom door!</div>
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The Builder has filled the hole so we are safe, for the moment. </div>
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We now have to decide what to do next. </div>
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Pest control will be needed, for this and our other furry friends, but we'll probably have to take the ceiling down, and, given past experiences it's unlikely to be put back up very quickly - especially as it's the cricket season!</div>
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Also with the birds coming down the chimney, lots of people suggested a cowl on the top. Obviously we need to do this but it's so strange that after living here for 20 years it's only last summer and this one that we've had any problems - very odd!</div>
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In other news we had a birthday boy a week ago; Number 2 son turned 15. The birthday was on a Saturday so it was cricket for all. Sadly all 3 men were playing in different parts of the county so we didn't all get together until 9pm. Such a shame and I feel that he has so much less fuss made of him than the other two, but I do know that the only thing he wants to do, 7 days a week if possible, is play cricket. For gifts we struggled as he has everything he wants/needs (cricket kit) so he got his second two favourite things in life (which we always live to regret)</div>
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flavours for his Soda Stream (unlimited fizzy) </div>
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and a bucket of sweets (unlimited sugar)</div>
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I wrote<a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/that-boy.html"> <span style="color: red;">a post about Number 2 Son</span></a> a while back, a post I often look up and read again. </div>
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He can be a difficult little chap (no longer little though). And he has me raging, crying, shouting and every reaction in between on many an occasion so he doesn't make for an easy life. However he is apparently a little darling with everyone outside of the home so it's not all bad. He's away this weekend on a school mini cricket tour to Bath and Reading (quite a journey from here), he packed his own bag as he's not speaking to either myself or The Builder - we're not really sure why. He'll no doubt be on tour without a toothbrush, shoes or pants!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwE5GIAGYCCl07WyJng_ERlzjOH3n_SVbcxjmTyuCPxkpG3AefGpRSWbK5TiIKTL-8UR7HcXDvVFzX627yC9limJd_iv-9Tu362NivUma1wsRU0UPUQYBQUhNe4I52UNsefbOoDGg-h1A/s1600/P6210050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwE5GIAGYCCl07WyJng_ERlzjOH3n_SVbcxjmTyuCPxkpG3AefGpRSWbK5TiIKTL-8UR7HcXDvVFzX627yC9limJd_iv-9Tu362NivUma1wsRU0UPUQYBQUhNe4I52UNsefbOoDGg-h1A/s1600/P6210050.JPG" height="320" width="183" /></a></div>
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And Number 1 son had his Sixth Form leaving dinner on Thursday evening after which he was going straight to Gatwick airport with friends for a week in Kavos (yes I know, I know!) </div>
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He organised most of the things he needed about an hour before he left and until I enquired about what he was taking, he'd packed 1 pair of shorts and 1 pair of swimming trunks - </div>
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"will I need more than that" he said!</div>
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He'd also booked the transfer taxi from airport to hotel and back again on the wrong dates</div>
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- and on a different coach than his friends!</div>
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We're assuming he's got there safely as the last we heard was a text saying "now on the way to Gatwick" I'm keeping everything crossed, he's probably lost his 'phone!</div>
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The only photo I have of him all spruced up in a new suit, he was about 4 inches shorter at the last prom 2 years ago! I got him to stand in many places but we just don't have a nice backdrop anywhere, so the overgrown garden it was.</div>
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Talking of the garden, I will do an update soon, it's looking very green!</div>
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I must go now, I've spent 2 days baking and making today's cricket tea; they've just called the match off due to a waterlogged pitch! If I start eating now I should have got through the cakes by bedtime! On the plus side, both boys are away and The Builder's match is off, a day out maybe?</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-62845119424565978752014-06-26T12:29:00.000+01:002014-06-26T12:29:32.238+01:00Visitors, some welcome, some not so much!<div style="text-align: center;">
We've had a few visitors in the last week or so, all of them have taken me by surprise, </div>
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not always in a good way!</div>
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We've had so many birds fall down the sitting room chimney it's like they're (or rather their poo is) part of the furniture! Pretty much every other day I come downstairs to either a baby starling flapping round the room or fluttering away inside the woodburner. And may I say what a mess they make flapping into the walls and windows with their sooty wings! </div>
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Every morning I now check the room for new arrivals and chase them to an open window before I even put the kettle on!</div>
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And this morning, as I made my way down listening out for a flippety flap sound I spotted a pair of shoes by the front door which I didn't recognise, presumably not from a bird (feathered or otherwise!!). I looked around and found an unexpected teenager asleep on a very small sofa, sort of scrunched up ball like! It seems Number 1 son had arrived home in the early hours with a friend in tow. Now in our sitting room we have two large 3-4 seater sofas, we also have a large pouffe which turns into a single bed and Number 1 son has 2 beds in his bedroom. So where did the extra teenager sleep? On the tiny sofa, barely bigger than an armchair in the tiny room with the (still) broken window! When I asked why, apparently number 1 son couldn't think of anywhere else for him to sleep!! Is this the boy who hopes to go to University in the Autumn? Worse than that is this the boy who hopes to make it to Kavos all in one piece later tonight (and home again a week later we hope). Where did he leave his brain? answers on a postcard......</div>
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But our final visitors have got me a little worried! We have a little courtyard round the back of our house which backs onto a brick outhouse belonging to the neighbours. This is where I feed the birds regularly, well I put seed out for the whole of April, May and June then generally forget until the next April, but I try. We get a lovely selection of pretty birds which I can watch from Little Miss's window or the conservatory.</div>
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This is the view from Little Miss's room, not very tidy but I quite like it, makes me think of a walled garden, the wall isn't actually ours, the weeds however, are.</div>
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But a couple of nights ago as I was pulling the blind, Little Miss and I noticed what we at first thought was a family of squirrels eating the seed and nuts which had spilled onto the floor. Hugely fat, furry and , at first glimpse, cuddly! But on closer inspection, not quite so cuddly!</div>
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Great big, fat rats, several of them.</div>
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Are you, like me of the generation who went to bed reading The Rats by James Herbert? I'm just a tad scared! I do find them fascinating and sat watching them for ages, I think there's a whole family living in the brick outhouse, and they didn't seem too scared of me either.</div>
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Not really sure what to do, I guess I stop putting bird food out for a start, I don't like the idea of poison. Someone suggested shooting them but as we don't have a gun it's not so easy, I've got a water pistol but that may not have the same effect!</div>
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Sorry to leave you with those lovely pictures to think about!</div>
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Thank you to everyone who commented on the previous post, we'll probably stay in a Travelodge in London but any other suggestions are still welcome, I won't be booking until payday!!</div>
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Apparently I have to do this to claim my blog?? Don't really understand but I'm doing what I'm told.</div>
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<a href="<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3862511/?claim=s5ccrwzqczn">Follow">http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3862511/?claim=s5ccrwzqczn">Follow</a> my blog with Bloglovin</a></div>
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See you soon</div>
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Jay</div>
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x</div>
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-9739235230009557382014-06-20T08:36:00.002+01:002014-06-20T08:39:08.871+01:00The ApprenticeThis week I have been mostly on a building site!<br />
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In view of The Builder nearing the end of his latest project and also due to his slight incapacitation what with his partially slipped disc and "ladies hips" <a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/whats-been-happening-at-our-place.html"><span style="color: red;">(see earlier post)</span></a> it seems my help was needed.<br />
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I took most of the week off my (paid) work and donned some old leggings and a big jumper (actually I wear that outfit on most other days too!)<br />
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My main task was scrubbing, painting and cleaning. He's had his brother help with a lot of the jobs like painting and now it's my job to try to make good the splodges left by my brother in law. They say if you pay peanuts you get monkeys, well he's not being paid anything........just saying!<br />
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I'm not too bad at cleaning but this is some pretty heavy duty work; scraping plaster and paint from windows and floors, it's playing havoc with my nails, and fingers come to that! I'm trying to clean the windows to a smear free shine, in the knowledge that my windows at home were last shown a duster probably 2 years ago. <br />
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The facilities are a little lacking too, I was told I could now use the loo as it's connected to the drains, there's no door on the bathroom though, and a few workmen about! I also turned down the offer of a cup of builders tea, well you would too wouldn't you?<br />
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The cups haven't been washed other than a sluice around in a bucket of water once a month! </div>
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They are far, far worse than this photo suggests!</div>
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So I may or may not have sneaked out to use the loo at a nearby store and I may or may not have found myself a cappuccino......<br />
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Well he's not paying me so the least I can have is a treat, and a frothy coffee is always a treat.<br />
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When it comes to being paid I'm trying very hard to persuade him to finish the job and take some time off. He's getting too old and rickety to keep on with this heavy, manual work - what with ladies hips and all. <br />
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Yes take some time off and stay home, he could - repair the roof, paint the outside of the house, fix the conservatory, paint the inside of the house (every room), dismantle the broken loo (flush and cistern won't work but lazy teenagers still use it - bucket on standby!) and make it into a pantry, hire a digger for the garden, bulldoze the shed, find and re-attach the missing door to summerhouse then move it to the other end of the garden (whole summerhouse not just the door), lay a patio, finish the balcony so we can actually open the doors without falling 20 feet to the ground, stop the bath leaking so we don't need to stuff an old towel under it....oh the list goes on! (can you tell a builder lives in this house?)<br />
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He'd probably prefer to take on another job, it'll be easier on his back and ladies hips!<br />
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PS Thank you for all the lovely comments on the previous post (the very long and rambling one), my garden isn't very nice or well kept, I just photographed it carefully. It appears bigger than it is as it is a square-ish plot and the house is squeezed sideways into a corner, very close to the neighbours, and therefore there is no front or back garden, it's just one square.<br />
I will take some more pictures to show it's faults more accurately but also to show the progress of my veggie patch which seems to be doing nicely.<br />
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PPS I have a question which you may be able to help me answer; I'm hoping to take Little Miss (just the 2 of us) to London in the Summer for a couple of nights and maybe a show (for my birthday maybe). I can sort the train and theatre but don't know where to stay. I'd like somewhere convenient for central London and inexpensive, - Travelodge type prices. We may well stay in a Travelodge/Premier Inn but just thought someone out there, with more idea than me, may know of a little gem to recommend to us. Any suggestions would be appreciated.<br />
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Thank you</div>
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Jay</div>
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x </div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-1045870212337400262014-06-17T19:17:00.001+01:002014-06-17T19:17:31.501+01:00A Gardener I Am Not!<br />
Thank you for all the comments on my last post, Little Miss did very well at the competition and came home with a medal, so all was good in this house!<br />
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This is a post I wrote a while ago and couldn't publish as the photos were disappearing (I think they still are), it's a little out of date and I'll do another to show garden progress soon, things have moved on obviously. The photos are still disappearing and this time they were purely uploaded from a file on my pc so I'm none the wiser, Google + seems to be saving my pictures automatically so I'm wondering if there's connection??<br />
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Anyway this is the post, from about 2-3 weeks ago..... (with a couple of added updates, it may be a bit muddly, apologies in advance!)<br />
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I have vaguely mentioned on occasion that I've been gardening, I've been doing lots (of digging mainly) and was particularly inspired this year to plant a few vegetables. There is a lot of inspiration in blogland and CJ at <a href="http://cjabovetheriver.blogspot.co.uk/"><span style="color: red;">Above the River</span></a> has inspired me in particular.<br />
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In our garden we have several fruit trees which seem to look after themselves, some years we have an abundance of fruit other years none, I've no idea why.<br />
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The builder mainly strims, cuts hedges and mows the lawn, the manly stuff which involves "equipment". Mostly I faff about, spend money on plants which, I believe, I weed out and chuck in the bin as soon as they stop flowering, either that or there's a prolific plant thief about these parts!<br />
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This weeks hasty pre-match strimming resulted in this<br />
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Yes a smashed window, and the biggest pane of glass we actually have in the house!! </div>
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You may also note that the door has no handle (it's been on the windowsill for 4 years) and </div>
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a polly-fillered hole beneath where the handle should be. There is a matching filled hole on the French doors directly above (our bedroom balcony/death trap door).</div>
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A few years ago we were woken early on several consecutive mornings by "someone" </div>
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knocking at the downstairs doors, then , more worryingly, knocking at the upstairs doors. </div>
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Everytime we looked there was nothing there, until one morning I came face to face with a woodpecker! Who had carefully drilled two gaping holes in the outside of the doors!</div>
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He's not been back since he saw my early morning face, but the unpainted repair remains......</div>
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Back to the gardening......<br />
My dislike of gardening is deep rooted although I'm trying to change that. My childhood was spent pottering around the garden with my beloved Grandad, he spent all his time gardening, building dwarf walls, laying crazy paving (it was around 1970) and generally tending his plants. A highlight was a trip to Percy Thrower's garden when I was small, if I remember correctly he was much admired by Grandad, apparently as we strolled around the garden Percy himself appeared and patted me on the head!<br />
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My Mum also fancied herself as a gardener (still does and has a garden landscaped to within an inch of it's life) and spent every weekend at garden centres; this is when I started to hate it. </div>
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I would be woken (in my teens, needing to sleep 'til noon!) on Sunday morning at the crack of dawn (with hindsight it was probably 9am).</div>
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Mum would call my full name loudly with an "ey" on the end - I hate, hate, hate that! </div>
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There would also be loud background music on the record player - either Dolly Parton or </div>
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Tammy Wynette - I'm sure you get the picture!</div>
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I would be dragged to the garden centre for hours and the boot of the car would be loaded up with trees, shrubs and plants and off home we would go. As I had no brothers or sisters and only lived with my Mum, Sundays were incredibly boring, and that's what I associate gardening with.<br />
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Anyhoo, my childhood is at least 20 years ago...... oh ok maybe a little longer; so I should be able to get over this fear of the garden.<br />
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We made attempts to tend little patches when we first moved into this house but as we had so much work to do on the house the garden was eventually left to run wild. On completing the house (until we started phase 2,3 and 4) we hired a digger and pretty much bulldozed everything flat.<br />
We laid a patio and some steps and The Builder built himself a shed the size of a bungalow. <br />
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We also uncovered the well in the garden which had originally supplied all our water.<br />
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And it was renovated to this...</div>
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But over the years the weeds have crept back and my attempts at gardening have been a little lame. It's not entirely my fault as for some projects I need a bit of muscle, and he's always at work, or cricket!<br />
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I have over the years grown a few things in pots, I often have a tin bath full of mixed lettuce leaves but this year I've branched out. My tin bath now contains beetroot, lettuce and parsnips. I don't know how they'll get on together or if they actually like container growing but they're looking ok at the moment.<br />
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I also branched out with some grow bags containing tomatoes and strawberry plants - go me!<br />
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All of the above are now much larger, the photos are about a month old! </div>
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Please excuse the surroundings, this area is directly outside our kitchen and some years ago we laid the base for an extension come orangery to be added. It was to enable us to have a much bigger kitchen table and become more of a family room to accommodate our growing family. However the money ran dry yet again (and the builder ran out of steam!) and the base remains but nothing else was ever built. I keep leaving it in the hope that one day it will be completed, unfortunately I suspect it'll be done just after the children leave home and we won't need the space!</div>
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I do have a few herbs growing in pots because I use them quite a bit.</div>
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The fruit trees are looking good this year although even though there are buds of fruit</div>
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it doesn't mean to say they'll survive!</div>
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The blossom on the apple tree (above) is now gone and the tiny fruits are appearing, Bramley apples, great for a pie or a crumble.</div>
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Loads of plums, for the first time in years</div>
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Apricots, again a tree full after a barren 4-5 years</div>
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Pears, which will change to downward pointing when they get heavier, </div>
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we always have lots of pears</div>
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And cherries, until something eats them - probably a mouse last year as the tree was netted from birds - we've yet to eat one single cherry from this tree!<br />
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But my biggest project which I'm determined will not lapse back into a pile of nettles and other weeds is this....<br />
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It's a little patch where I have my compost bins and a couple of current bushes and some rhubarb. <br />
It's also the spot where we throw all the garden rubbish and occasionally have a bonfire. Over the years the heap has got bigger and bigger.</div>
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I'm fed up with looking at a pile of rubbish and the weeds begin to wrap themselves around the little fruit bushes and drown them.<br />
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The digging has commenced, (a few weeks ago now) the pile of rubbish is getting smaller as I dig the bottom of it back into the soil and remove the stones and broken bricks</div>
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(what were they doing on a bonfire?)</div>
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I'm going to carry on until I have a nice, dug over, neat square.</div>
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Ideally I would like four raised beds, I find it easier with boundaries, as I'm not a natural gardener.</div>
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But for now I'll try to keep on top of this bit. </div>
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As most gardening needs to be taken care of during the summer months I have a problem in that the Builder is usually working longer days and at cricket every time he has a spare moment. </div>
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I do get cross when I find out he's taken the afternoon off to mow the pitch!</div>
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I have planted a few more seeds of beetroot and some carrots; next on my list is onions and garlic as we eat a fair amount of those; I think I'm probably too late for this year.</div>
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Update : I am keeping on top of it despite the weather making everything grow faster than I can move! The onions (red and white) are planted but the garlic got forgotten.</div>
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However the bonfire is growing again, but so are my veggies, and I have a little idea in my head about having a tiny greenhouse. My birthday isn't too far away and I may ask for a greenhouse or a hoe, I'll probably get a toaster if previous birthdays are anything to go by!</div>
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This is another area I've been working hard on, the hedgerow between our garden and the field. It's very brambly in places and full of hedge roots which makes for hard digging. I've tried to build it up in places and cover with bark chippings. </div>
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The half I've done is above, (note the abandoned cricket stumps!)</div>
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and then turn around to see the bit I've yet to do!</div>
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It's amazing what you find lost amongst the weeds!</div>
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There are some pretty flowers around too, very much by luck not any skill on my part, these pictures are a few weeks old now but we still have some colour in the garden.<br />
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It's hard work this gardening mallarky, especially when you're the only one doing it!</div>
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Have a good week wherever you are and whatever you're doing.</div>
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Jay</div>
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x</div>
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Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-2273325488810249092014-06-08T12:49:00.002+01:002014-06-08T13:58:58.947+01:00What's been happening at our place.....<div style="text-align: center;">
Firstly thank you for the suggestions re my blog photos, I will Google around for some answers. As the photos were uploaded from different places, some Picasa, some directly from my PC, I don't know what's going on. And more pics are disappearing from very old posts too - so strange! But thank you for taking the time to comment.</div>
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I don't really know where to start, life has been incredibly busy and not just with the cricket for a change. The Builder is nearing the end of a project he's been on for a while and whilst we are stony broke just now the money will be released very soon, so the pressure was on to get it complete. That in itself is a little bit of stress but added to that he has been having various aches and pains for a while now which means he works slower and finds some jobs more difficult than he used to.</div>
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He is after all 54 later this year and can't expect to have the energy of an 18 year old </div>
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(do they have energy, our actual, real-life 18 year old is mostly asleep!). </div>
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On Christmas eve he had a hospital appointment to discuss treatment for the partially slipped disc which had been discovered, that appointment was a mixture of emotions as they started to discuss injections into the disc and possible surgery but ended the appointment by saying as he had the reflexes of an 18 year old (and yes I'll never hear the end of that) </div>
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they wouldn't be doing anything other than prescribe painkillers!</div>
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As luck would have it he plays cricket with an orthopaedic surgeon who, </div>
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on seeing his bow-legged shuffle, said he should get his hips looked at as well, the result of this showed a certain amount of arthritis in his hip joint as well as the slipped/bulging disc.</div>
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Fast forward to half term when he played cricket on Saturday and Sunday, mostly as a wicket keeper (crouched down on his haunches for several hours - as you do with a slipped disc and arthritis??) and ended up in extreme pain. He soldiered on until the following Thursday, when he couldn't move and was in agony. At midnight (how like children some men are!) he announced that I needed to drive him to A & E in Norwich as he was worried something very strange had happened in his back - you can imagine the scenarios we went through.</div>
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I had to dress The Builder as he could barely move, wake Number 1 son to let him know he was in charge, wedged The Builder into the car and drove into our nearest Accident and Emergency.</div>
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He was instructed to stay in the cubicle allocated and wear a gown, so embarrassing to have to undress and dress him again and at this point we realised I'd put his pants on backwards! It made the Doctor (aged about 15) laugh anyway. I wasn't going to whip them off and turn them round, not when the cubicle curtain could have been thrown wide open at any time </div>
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to find me with his pants in my hand!</div>
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At 5am he was prescribed very strong painkillers and sent home to a very deep sleep for the rest of the day. I stayed awake with the help of coffee as there was a school run to do then there seemed no point in sleeping until an early night beckoned.</div>
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Last week he had an official appointment (as appose to a consultation in the cricket club bar) with our surgeon friend who x-rayed his hips once again and was a little bemused by the arrangement and distribution of arthritis in his hip, apparently it's only usually seen in women! - Cue an excuse to rib him forever more! The Tourettes in me wanted to ask if this arthritis could have been caused by him wearing ladies underwear but I wasn't sure, in the formal hospital surroundings, </div>
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if he'd have realised I was joking!</div>
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So you can imagine how happy I was when The Builder announced he would be fine to play cricket this weekend as he felt the problem was much improved!</div>
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I refuse to take him to A & E again!</div>
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On top of that Number 1 son is mid exams, the A levels which will determine whether he gets into the university of his choice, Loughborough. He feels they haven't been going too well and is already talking about other options, it's so tough and there is absolutely nothing we can do to help </div>
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other than try to be supportive.</div>
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Number 2 son continues to give us grief at every opportunity, only of the verbal kind but hard to take none the less - note to self I must stop "being such an idiot", I'm sure that would help the situation.</div>
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Little Miss seems to have been lost in the midst of all this stress and worry which isn't fair. Hopefully her turn to shine will be later today when she takes part in a club gymnastics competition, I'm keeping everything crossed for her. The boys are dotted around the county at cricket so it just leaves me to watch; and cheer!</div>
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Oh and I should just mention that in the middle of all this a young New Zealander moved into the garage! Those who've been reading my blog from the start may remember <a href="http://myfamilyandothercricketers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/i-didnt-see-that-coming-no-really-i-did.html"><span style="color: red;">this</span></a> and the reprieve I had last year. In the intervening time our garage has become full of "stuff", the usual garage type clutter plus those things only a Builder come hoarder would have like a collection of rusty nails </div>
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and 3 (non-working) fridges!</div>
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The proposition was put to me by telephone in the middle of Tesco by a committee member who said he'd rather speak directly to the organ grinder not the monkey! Apparently this years overseas player who had been staying with another family had only been allowed to stay with them for the first few weeks and now needed new accommodation. It was fine if I said no, I mustn't worry....but he'd be homeless!! Hands up those who think The Builder knew I was about to get that call??</div>
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What can you say to that.... the plus side is that a team of people arrived and cleaned the garage and took a load of junk to the tip for us, it's now back to a penthouse suite! </div>
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So I have another rent-free lodger............can anyone offer me a place to stay til September??</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778176631217288215.post-14557139244618118442014-06-05T20:55:00.004+01:002014-06-05T20:55:54.604+01:00Help!<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm just dropping in to say "Hi" and to let you know I'm still here but life has become slightly more hectic than usual - not all cricket related but a long story in itself!</div>
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I'm very behind on reading other peoples posts too, I apologise if I comment on your blog in what appears to be another language but I only seem to get chance to read blogs when I'm out and about - invariably waiting for one child or another in a carpark somewhere in Norfolk! </div>
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Anyway I read on my small mobile phone and comment as best I can without being able to see the screen very well!! Sometimes I read them back at a later date and realise that the combination of my eyes becoming long sighted and the predictive text means that I often don't make sense </div>
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(actually my friends would probably say I make little sense in real life too!)</div>
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What I dropped in to ask was if anyone knows where my blog photos keep disappearing to. If you scroll down you'll see something like a no-entry sign where a photo used to be.</div>
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I noticed this a while ago and edited the posts to re-add the photos, however they're disappearing again. Does anyone know why, and can explain what to do to a computer illiterate, long sighted, over weight blogger (over weight not being relevant I guess!?)</div>
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Thank you, any help would be appreciated!</div>
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Jay</div>
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xx</div>
Jayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08805509603176943176noreply@blogger.com14