musings (201) fun Monday (76) friendship (64) K9 (13)

Sunday 24 January 2010

Janis hosts Fun Monday

As your hostess this week...here is what I dreamed up! The big question is ....What is the favourite room in your home? Tell us why and show us a photo?

Fave has to be shower room s for pix? Maybe or perhaps not.

Used to love long soaks in the bath until we added an extension. A proper extension, not sun room nor conservatory.

A shower room, plus utility plus dining room adding 25 m^2 onto our 'footprint'.

Bath preps have become shower preps and yes, I have to admit to having quite a hoard.

There's a UK company called Lush, with shops on the high street (in many countries) and present on the Internet. But when you browse you can't take in the wonderful aromas you find in the shops. Easy to spot a Lush shop, follow your nose...

Wednesday 20 January 2010

We called him Jan

his 'Sunday' name was William-John. Typically Cornish through and through.
Years before we knew him, he'd had a serious, life-threatening accident. The accident had made deaf in one ear, he'd lost his sense of smell and his memory. Even short term memory was unreliable. But his very dry sense of humour remained.

She was a formidable lady in the best sense of the word. Over the years she worked with him evey day to improve his memory and teach him how to get on with daily life.

She was the main wage earner, he kept house and had a job with Remploy.
Many's the time we had Sunday lunch cooked by Jan.

Years later, she became ill and he nursed her, she carried on teaching him and setting up everything she could to ensure he could carry on after her death.

For 5 years his life went on, tending house and garden. We kept in touch and visited when down in Cornwall. When you got to know him, you realised what a brilliant job she'd done in encouraging and helping him.

I'd phone to say 'put the kettle on, we'll have a coffee' his reply 'oh no! can't do that'... We'd arrive and he'd have timed it perfectly, coffee was being brewed as we walked in.

Happy memories!

Now they are reunited in death.

Friday 15 January 2010

Lil Mouse Fun Monday topic

This week?s Fun Monday post will be about chores. What is your least favorite chore? Vacuum get you down? Dust bunnies saying, ?oh yeah, you and what army?? Is there a chore that you neglect doing it until the absolute last minute when guests arrive? Do you just pray they won?t look ?there?? Are you going green with your cleaning? Top tips? If you have any ideas for anyone on Monday, post them in their comment box, because we all know that we LOVE comments!

Housework?!
No-one comments when 'tis done, only when it 'needs' doing!
With 2 German Shepherd Dogs adding to the mess, it'd drive me berserk if I attempted to be house proud.

I like the saying: "Dull women have immaculate houses."
Another saying I like is: "Take me as you find me!"

Okay, my house is my home first and foremost. A place to welcome, care for and nurture those who live here and those that come here. Clean enough to be healthy but not squeaky clean.

As for cleaning methods? There's a lovely online store "Lakeland" cram full of ideas, so yes, I have eco-friendly cleaning stuff.

White vinegar, lemon juice + water work well; but I also use other traditional ideas.

Sunday 10 January 2010

Sayre hosts Fun Monday n asks

http://sayresmiles.blogspot.com/
I want to know your car history. What was your first car? Which was your favorite car? And what are you driving now - and why?
What a great question! I have to delve back thro' the mists of time to recall my 1st vehicle.
But, there are two firsts; the first one I owned which, was such a wreck it ought never to be written about and
My first Real Car...

Morris Minor bought from someone who was desperate for the cash £100. No MOT n 'needed' working on, she says with a rueful grin. It took months of hard work to make it road-worthy, and I learnt a lot about car mechanics by being hands on as much as possible. It was a cheap way of getting me on the road with my own car.
Some 30+ years later, having owned cars made by Ford (Fiesta), British Leyland (Rover), Citroen (AX and estate car), Renault (Laguna), BMW (3 series) - I'm 'into' Toyota as in Avensis estate.
Courtesy of OH, I've happily driven Opel (Ascona), Vauxhall (Senator) Mercedes (C class), BMW (5 series)...
From driving cars with lots of oomph (petrol) to diesels which at first were relatively slow and nowadays hold their own against all comers.
From small 'shopping trolleys' to luxury motors, and recently estate cars have become my vehicle of choice. Having two GSDs, an estate is the perfect vehicle to transport them in safety. Hence my Toyota Avensis diesel my vehicle of choice.

Friday 8 January 2010

Arctic Britain

Rantz's complaining about too many snow photos! But, as he lives in North Australia, maybe that's the reason for the complaint.

Okay, so we've been lucky, little snow, but lots of ice and low temperatures.
Postie finally got round to delivering some mail; what's so remarkable about that? First 'real' post of the year! Days have passed with no sign of any mail deliveries, schools closed and bin collections have 'ceased' until further notice! The madness of it all! 21st century and we are hiding away waiting for the weather to improve.

What's to blame?
Our...
Compensation, ambulance-chasing, sue now and sue everyone £$$£ culture".

Saturday 2 January 2010

After...

joy, comes sadness; after pleasure, comes pain... Melancholy sets in, the usual aftermath of New Year celebrations (in my case).
This year especially, January fills me with foreboding. Some might ask, 'Why'?

Every so often, the calendar dates of one year repeat in due order a former year.
2010 is such a year. If my memory is working, 1984, a year made infamous by George Orwell, stands out as one of particular pain and sorrow.
I lost my 'be all and end all'; the 'rock upon which my life was built'. Does that sound too dramatic? Not to me! The person who left my life suddenly and permanently was my father.