VISITORS

The corner of our garden is full of birds again this year and its lovely to watch.

Geoffrey has festooned a large bush in the corner opposite the kitchen window with fat balls and a bird feeder and it has certainly attracted lots of birds. There are some birds there that I have never seen before and I must check my bird book to see what they are. "our" robin from last year does not seem to be there, there is another robin around but I am sure that it is a different one as "he" just hops around the bottom of the tree and darts in to feed when he can.

Some of the little birds love to sit on the circular line and swing around in the wind!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

Did my duty in the gallery yesterday and enjoyed my time there meeting lots of customers and friends.

I had not done duty for some time as I had been in hospital and then had to set to and get on with producing my stuff for Christmas. It was nice to catch up with everyone and the afternoon flew. The town was very busy in spite of the cold weather.


Now I had better do some housework!

MR. ROBIN

I just had to stitch a robin - you will find him on my stall at the Glebe Craft Fair on Sunday the 27th of November in the Grand Hotel

LOST AGAIN!

I did it again!

On our way back from Dublin on Friday we stopped off at a shopping centre on the outskirts and Geoffrey parked and I went into the shops. Some time afterwards when I came out I just could not find the car. I had done what I often do, come out of another door and completely lost my bearings. Thank goodness for mobile phones, I rang Geoffrey and he had to get out of the car and keep waving until I could spot him - I know - ejit!

CHEEKY!

The cheek of it! I went out to my car this morning and found a card under my wiper. It said "cash offered for old cars" well - my car is far from crash material. Alright I know it is over 10 years old but I love my little silver car.

CHEEK!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

What is it with spiders and our house?! There are cobwebs appearing all the time and as fast as I dust them away they appear. I have dusters all around the house, big one, little ones, flat one (to go behind things) and I am still not winning.

Their occupants are of course all over the house as well.

Last night I opened the door from the kitchen into the hall and there in front of me was this HUGE spider - you know the type that has knees. We stared at each other for a while - me like a rabbit in the headlights - and then I slammed the door and shouted for Geoffrey to come and catch it. Of course when he opened the door again it had gone to ground.

So I am nervously and slowly going down the hall now!

PIGS

I LOVE PIGS! THIS ONE HAD ME IN STITCHES!

ROAD HOG

PLAYING BALL

I grew up with two sisters and a father that had no interest in sport so the ins and outs of rugby, football, motor racing etc. leaves me cold!

As the World knows the Rugby World Cup is on at the moment so Geoffrey is sat in front of the television - ok. But I had not factored in the Grand Prix - bored bored bored!

TEMPTATION!

Our patio door has been sticking on its runners and it was very difficult to open and close it. Yesterday I got it fixed and it is now flying open. Geoffrey was out for the day doing his extra bit. I was sorely tempted to keep quiet and sit back and watch him discovering our "new" door but realised that if he tackled it as we have been doing it might get damaged - so I was a good girl and told him before he opened it!

Sense comes with age!

A FAIR RETURN?

Geoffrey went out for his usual walk yesterday and I settled down to draw. I suddenly became aware that it was raining heavily so rang Geoffrey and asked if he was able to shelter or if he wanted me to pick him up. He been caught on the road above our house where there is no shelter so I set off in my car as quickly as I could.

I picked him up, drove back and parked outside our house but when I got out of the car I noticed that I had a puncture in one of my tyres - so much for doing my good deed for the day - I know by just looking at it that I will need a new tyre - ho hum

A MUG FULL OF FUN

RELIEF!

You know that saying - "when you stop banging your head against the wall - its lovely when it stops!"

Well, I now know exactly what this means. I have had such a bad toothache all week and have been going nuts as even strong painkillers did not work. I have never had toothache before, a dislocated jaw, yes, but not toothache!

The relief when it stopped today is mighty!!!!

VISITING?

I spent HOURS yesterday waiting in hospital for an eye examination. Shortly after I arrived at the appointed time I had ointment put in my eyes which meant that I could not read. I always bring a book with me to my hospital appointments which means that I can sit and wait more or less happily but this time I could not read as I could not see! So - began to "people watch" - there were quite a few people waiting all around me, most on their own but a few with relations. I noticed two grown-up sons with their mothers which is nice to see. There was also a young mother with her son. From time to time a phone would ring and bored people around would prick up their ears and listen to the conversations!

The room I was in was a big waiting room with small rooms around it and every so often a patient's name would be called and it was easy to pick out the people who had been there before as they knew to sit outside the relevant door unlike the others who often had to climb over small children and bags on their way out of the waiting room.

When I was finally called, after just under TWO HOURS the examination only took about five minutes, although I was happy that I got a clean bill of health.

BACK TO NORMAL ?!

This last year has been a bit difficult for me and I have just not felt like painting but yesterday I finally put brush to paper. I thought when I sorted out my tubes of paint that they would all be dried up but found that they were fine, the only trouble now is that the room I paint in is in such a mess. I will have to tidy it up as I can't stand a mess around me apart from not being able to find anything!

OUT WEST

Have just come back after spending a week with Adam in Sligo. He had such a busy week, during the week I was there he had two weddings and one christening. So for most of the time it was just me and the cats for company!

We took a trip just over the border mid week, it is a long time since I visited Northern Ireland and I found it had changed a lot, for the better. The countryside around Enniskillen is lovely, with lots of lakes but unfortunately we did not have time for photographs.

KNASHERS

I am going to the dddddentist today - wish it was somehere/anywhere else.

MIRROR IMAGE

SUN, SEA AND SPADE!

OVER THE HEDGE

Sitting in the garden today - joy of joy sun at last! - I heard a blackbird making that noise that says "I don't like you being there" in the hedge just behind where I was sitting. I looked up and there "he" was checking me out, we eyed each other for a while and then he hopped further along onto the top of a loganberry bush growing beside me. He plucked off a big loganberry and I watched fascinated while he took three attempts to swallow it.

When I told Geoffrey about this he said "oh that's the blackbird that comes down to give out to me everytime I go into the garden"!

LODGERS

I don't know if other houses have the same problem with uninvited guests but our house is FULL of spiders.

I really do not like spiders but I just can't bring myself to kill them. Today I was hoovering downstairs and everywhere I went there were spiders - the ones with long thin legs, so I would stop hoovering and give them time to scurry away, now I am wondering if I should kill them as there really seems to be more and more of them each day.

THE PRICE OF GOLD

Losing weight is great and loose clothes are good too but when it comes to loose rings that is another matter altogether - especially when they fall off.

Some years ago Geoffrey bought me a small gold band when my Wedding ring no longer fitted me and now it is lost. I have searched high and low in the house, even the washing machine filter and hoover bag have been searched, with no luck. I have come to the conclusion that it must have dropped off my finger when I was out of the house.

HERE COMES SUMMER BUT WHEN!!

BUTTERFLY

ON A HIGH

I often stand and look out at our garden as this time of the year it is full of birds and watching the baby birds learning to fly is funny. But today when I looked out I saw something unexpected.

I noticed a movement on my neighbour's roof and when I looked closely I saw it was a grey squirrel. He was sitting on the "spine" of the roof, he went too and fro for a good while and then disappeared! I know they are great climbers but I have never seen one on a roof before.

WISHES

Be careful what you wish for!

I have been trying for a long time to loose weight and over the last 10 to 12 months I have lost most of the excess weight - great you would say and yes it is great, I have a whole new wardrobe to wear now.

But there is a cost to it as there is in everything. I have been very unwell for all of that time as I have been diagnosed with an auto immune disease which mostly gives me a lot of pain and makes it difficult for me to eat as I have to stick to a fairly bland diet. I love my food, but I miss chocolate SO MUCH!

IDLE FINGERS!

I decided instead of watching endless uninteresting television programmes that I would spend my time more usefully and have taken up cross stitching. It certainly concentrates the mind!

When I have completed more items I will put them into the gallery.

MUM AND BABY HEDGEHOGS

WASHING DAY

MELTING MOMENTS

Adam had a very busy week last week, being Holy Week. As part of the preparation for Easter he always likes to include the smallest members of his churches and usually has an Easter egg hunt.

This year is his first time in Ireland and having the egg hunt in a more rural setting so when he hid small foil wrapped chocolate eggs in the grounds of the local school he forgot to factor in the local wildlife.

There are now some very confused birds in Sligo sitting on chocolate eggs!

CRASH, BANG AND NO WALLOP

I had a bad fright last week when Adam rang to say he had had an accident. It seems he skidded on a patch of ice or oil. He skidded across the road and ended upside down six feet down in a field. He was so lucky, he walked away from the car (which is a right-off) with only whiplash and a sore back, as he was wearing his seatbelt - it kinda puts things into perspective.

His lovely parishioners have been so good to him, taking care of him that day, lending him a car/picking him up when needed and leaving presents into the Rectory.

He came home for a few days to have a rest and we went out and about, on one of our trips we saw a small notice in a charity shop window which said "now is the time to get down on your knees to thank God for being on your feet" and we both agreed that we could not have put it better!

KILMACURRAGH ESTATE

Adam was home for a few days last week so cameras in hand we went to Kilmacurragh, as a groundsman I had bumped into had told me that the spring flowers were out and the rhododendrons were beginning to bloom.

What a lovely sight! After such a harsh winter it was really great to see such a display of colour and seeing the flowers growing up through the grass reminded me of my parents home as we had a big garden and every Spring the spring flowers would bloom scattered over the lawns in a random pattern just like Kilmacurragh.

The gardens are being looked after beautifully and - even though I do not know one plant from another - I can recognise the old type flowers from my childhood planted throughout the beds.

A CARPET OF COLOUR

NEW BUDS

FATE?

I often think that our day to day happenings are meant to happen!

I have been thinking of trying to teach myself cross stitching recently and have been looking for a book that would teach me the basics and at the same time trying not to spend money.

Today I was a good girl and brought some books and empty ink cartridges down to the recycling centre. While I was there I had a look at the books (which are free to take away) and there sitting on the shelf was a detailed book on cross stitching with lots of instructions and patterns.

Great!

Fate?

LOST AGAIN!

I really surpassed myself last Sunday!

I have a habit of taking the wrong turning and getting lost, much to my family's amusement.

Last Sunday I went to Church and went up for Communion but when I came back down through the Church I could not remember what pew I was in and could not find it, going up and down the aisle until a helpful man pointed to the right pew!

I know I'm a ejit!

IMMUNITY?!

I have not been blogging much in the last few months as I have been struggling a bit what with one thing and another.

I was diagnosed recently with an auto immune disease which has really knocked me for six! I never know any day how I will be feeling and this affects what I do for that day. I have also, during the last six months had a short stay in hospital and since then have had one if not two hospital visits each week since then.

All of this has taken big chunks out of my time and really disrupted things but I should not complain as I have had the best medical treatment and best of all, I have lost a lot of weight, something which I have been trying to do for a long time.

So you see, fate is a fickle thing!

STAYING CONNECTED

Our handsfree phone in the hall has finally given up the ghost. For the last few days it decided to cut out after a few minutes which is very frustrating - especially to the caller!

Geoffrey dug out an old phone from our previous house. This phone is one of those "L" shaped cream phones with white square push buttons and not handsfree of course. It feels so clunky and of course you are stuck to the spot when talking on it. When we bought it we thought it was so modern, just shows how times change.

We just have to save up for a new one now!

SPIES!

Did you ever have the feeling you were being watched?!

This morning I went out to feed the birds as usual, filling the several dishes we have left out for them and the little bird house they particularly love. I took my time enjoying the cold air. Something made me look up and I could not believe my eyes. On top of all my neighbours roofs were birds and lots of birds all looking down at me (or so it seemed!) SPOOKY!!!!!!

SNOW ON THE ROOF!

Picture the scene ..........

I am fast asleep in the Rectory, its the middle of the night - I am a very light sleeper.....

WHOOOOOOOSE !!!

"What was that!!! I shot out of bed and ran out onto the landing, the Rectory is quite large and of course not being at home I am not used to the noises this house makes - WHOOOOOOOSE! - I happened to be in front of the big window on the landing and immediately saw what was making the noise - a huge sheet of snow had just falled off the roof - "so that was what it was" - relief - I thought we were in for a burst pipe. I went back to my bedroom to share the knowledge with Geoffrey that the thaw had begun as foretold by the weather forcasters and found him fast asleep and snoring! I crept around the house and found that neither Adam or Simon had woken.

Next morning Geoffrey announces, all excited - the thaw has set in - I know already!

SNOWED IN AT CHRISTMAS!

Christmas was interesting this year!!

I made the journey by train over to Adam (who of course was working all through Christmas) knowing that it was likely that Geoffrey and Simon might not be able to make the journey over on Christmas Eve. The train journey was long and cold and the view from the train windows was like a winter wonderland. As it was late in the day I watched a lovely glowing sunset gradually set behind the snow covered trees.

Geoffrey and Simon did manage to make the journey on Christmas Eve, getting stuck half way up the drive - sideway - but they made it for Christmas!

THE RECTORY AT CHRISTMAS!