31 July

Today is my Birthday, Happy Birthday to me, and to everyone who shares this day as their Birthday too. Its a great day to have a Birthday, I never ever went to school on my Birthday because it was in the summer holidays, and to date, I have never been to work on my Birthday either. Today my husband took me out for the day... Hang on rewind. Today I was woken up with breakfast in bed! Lovely way to start the day, then my Husband and I went out for the day, we went to one of the many national trust properties and had a wander round and a cup of tea, then he took me out for lunch at one of my favourite pubs, where I had the most amazing fish and chips, with pea fritters, minted pea mash and home made tartar sauce the batter of the fish was an ale batter and so light! Delicious. My Husband had Roasted lamb rump, with dauphinoise potatoes  and roasted root vegetables. Once we had eaten we drove over to another National trust property, (Making the most of our membership!) and spent a lovely afternoon wandering.
This evening both my daughters are coming over, which will round off the day nicely!
What a lovely way to spend the thirty first of July!
Oh and here is a poem, it was on the Birthday card my Mum sent me!!!!!
YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T RESIST IT
WHEN THERE'S COCKTAILS TO BE TASTED-
SO PARTY ON AND HAVE SOME FUN
AND GET COMPLETELY WASTED!
(Purple Ronnie)

Its ok to count the days as long as you make the days count!

ITS OK TO COUNT THE DAYS, AS LONG AS YOU MAKE THE DAYS COUNT!

Scones.

When ever we go to National Trust properties they have scones for sale in their café's. They have plain ones with jam and cream, and cheese ones and sometimes watercress or caramelized onion in them. Both my husband and I love scones, he prefers the jam and cream ones but I prefer the savoury ones. Today I decided to try and make some, I know this is a simple thing to bake, but I'm not very good at cakes and things like that I prefer cooking meals.
Anyhow, I made two batches one for jam and the other with cheese in. And even though I do say so myself, they are really nice! All I have to do now is work out how to say it! Scon, or Scone??? Any ideas which is the correct way to say it?

A walk in the park.

Today was Blossoms last day with us this week, we took her to one of the many National Trust property's. We had a look round the house, and gardens, during the holidays they put on trails and events for kids. Today we had to follow animal foot prints to find the animal which made them. Blossom did very well.

Stick!

Today Blossom, Seal, Logan and I took the dog for a long walk in a nearby woods, its the only way to walk the dog in this heat really, under the shade of trees! We walked for about a mile then decided to have our lunch, we had already decided to have a picnic.
After eating Blossom and Logan decided to build a bridge then a den. Just as the den was finished the rain came down. Lovely big splatty drops of rain lovely!
Really good day chatting and putting the world to rights whilst the kids played.
As for the stick..... The dog had one in her mouth 90% of the time and both the bridge and the den were made of sticks!

Amazing Grace! No no I mean Amazing Cake!

It will shortly be my Birthday, I happened to mention to one of my work mates that I had not been made a birthday cake in years! Yesterday she brought a cake in that she had made, for my Birthday... Is this not the most amazing cake??

Its a boy!

Congratulations William and Kate on the birth of your son!

Two more for the countdown

Two Different Doctors

 

TWO PATIENTS LIMP INTO TWO DIFFERENT MEDICAL CLINICS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT....... Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement. The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, is xrayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.     THE SECOND SEES HIS FAMILY DOCTOR AFTER WAITING 3 WEEKS FOR AN APPOINTMENT, THEN WAITS 8 WEEKS TO SEE A SPECIALIST, THEN GETS AN X-RAY, WHICH ISN'T REVIEWED FOR ANOTHER WEEK AND FINALLY HAS HIS SURGERY SCHEDULED FOR 6 MONTHS FROM THEN. Why the different treatment for the two patients?   The FIRST is a Golden Retriever. The SECOND is a Senior Citizen.

Flying Cats

Sometimes, living so far away from my best friends is worse than others, today is one of them. I know one of my very best friends is hurting and there is nothing I can do. To be honest even if I lived closer I probably couldn't help, then again, I do make a good cup of tea!
I am thinking of you, even though there is nothing I can do xxx
(As for the flying cats..... whatever!)

Count downs

I seem to have several count downs going on at the moment, THE BIG ONE! which is at present at 65 and the other one, no less exciting but a whole bunch nearer is at 32, isn't it Northern Bird!!! (Yay) so today I shall post two count down numbers...

Mainly Mouse!

Today I got up earlier than I usually do at the week end, I wanted to go for a ride on Mouse before it got too hot!
Having groomed her and tacked up, I went for a ride round the block at a walk and slow trot so that she didn't get too hot! On the homeward stretch I let her walk in the river (forgetting we had borrowed HI VIS leg bandages from one of the girls at the yard). Once back the bandages were remarkably dry!! I hung them up in the ownerd stable to ensure they dried off properly and so that she would find them. Then set to work giving Mouse a bath, she has been so itchy with the dust and heat, I hosed her off totally including her face, she is so good about hoses and sprays, although she will still run away in the field if I try and hose her down.
Having let her back out into her field I tidied up the yard and had a cold drink before mucking out the field. When I had finished that I noticed a bee in her water, I put my hand in to rescue it and found the water to be really warm. Ahh well I had nothing else to do, so I emptied all the water and re filled it, I know it will only get warm again but hopefully it should be a bit cooler for a while. Before leaving for the morning I sprayed her with fly repellent (for what its worth!) And left her to graze.

PRAY

If you Pray, please pray.
If you hope, please hope.
If you meditate, please meditate.
For a four year old girl who needs, all your Prayers, Hopes, Meditations.

67

Blood

Blood blood blood! The story of my day!

68

Croquet

Today after work I drove over to a friends house, she was having a get together there were about twelve of us, She had cooked some delicious nibbles, and served a selection of soft and alcoholic drinks. (Why aren't alcoholic drinks called hard drinks???) The thing with this get together was we were going to play croquet.
It was hilarious and everyone spent the evening laughing and chatting, even though several of us didn't know each other.
Getting back to the Croquet, I won the first game!! Not bad since I have never played before! Then I came third. I has a great evening, Thank you Mrs N!

Un Happy Feet!

This morning I left for work at the usual time, but instead of going into the department I work in, I went instead to the clinical training rooms, where I was to have a phlebotomy course.
There were fifteen of us all from different departments in the hospital. The course was really well run, we had plenty of time to ask questions, the instructor was fun and approachable and we got the job done. (And not a flea in sight!)
We gave up our breaks in favour of finishing early and getting out into the sunshine, which meant I was able to get home and see my husband before he leaves for his night shift this evening.
Mouse was supposed to have her feet done this evening, but my farrier managed to give me the wrong date, he's coming tomorrow! Doh!

71

77 years!

Well what a day, up early to do Mouse before it got too hot, then off to church, then back home baked an orange drizzle cake, had some lunch, cleared the back garden, weeded the flower tubs then.... sat down to watch Wimbledon.
Andy Murray V Novac Djocovic well, what an edge of the seat match that turned into. I am not a tennis fan I thought I would just put it on and wander in and out whilst doing other things. Wrong! That was the best tennis match I have ever watched. Andy Murray must have something about the number 7.
On the seventh day of the seventh month, after seventy seven years a Brit won Wimbledon.
WELL DONE ANDY MURRAY!

72

73

Heat wave!

This morning I went down to muck out Mouse's paddock, it was 08:30, and it was really hot! I had planned to take the dog out for a walk once back from doing the horse but I decided that it wouldn't be sensible.
So I drove over to see Seal for a cup of tea and a good chat. We sat in her garden and put the world to rights, we had loads to tell each other and the cup of tea turned into two cups of tea and some squash, all whilst soaking up the rays.
When I left it was to pick up Litlun, (who just turned 17!) and drive to Sam and Buzz's house for a BBQ to celebrate Blossoms Confirmation.
It was a really lovely afternoon, lovely company, catching up with friends we haven't seen for years in some cases. Buzz was in charge of the cooking and the food was really lovely. Sam had made some lovely salads, especially the potato salad, that was awesome!
The kids had the trampoline and a huge paddling pool to play in. . . they managed to get Buzz very wet with cups of water then pushing him in the pool, all in the name of fun.
I was sorry to have to go, but my husband had been at work all day and I couldn't let him come home to no dinner.
And when I got home I realised I still have another day off, gotta love three day weekends!

Day off

Today my husband and I had a day off together, we have been looking forward to this day for weeks. Since changing my job, tha amount of time we have off together is so little.
We got up early, made a picnic, went and sorted Mouse out then set off for a National Trust property which is about an hours drive from home.
The thermometer in the car said it was 25 degrees, we wandered around the gardens then found a quiet spot to have lunch, talk about a private air display, we sat where no one else was walking and were given a fly past by Buzzards, fly catchers catching flies to feed to their young, black birds and an Apache helo!
When we had eaten we walked through a meadow which was heaving with butterfly's, literally hundreds of them. At the other end of the meadow we found a river which we walked along until we found ourselves back where we started.
After a cup of tea we set off for home stopping on the way at a lovely little pub for a drink, (I only had a lime and soda!) Then on to feed and water Mouse for the evening.
To top off the day we got take away fish and chips and a lovely bottle of red (Which I am enjoying as I write this!!)

Confirmation

This evening after rushing home from work, I went to one of our local churches, not ours, where the Bishop was to Confirm the candidates from five local churches.
My Mum came with me and we met up with Samantha and her other half, As her daughter, my granddaughter was one of the candidates being confirmed.
My husband was fully involved with the service as he had to baptise two members of our church before they were confirmed.
It was a beautiful evening in every way.

Danny MacAskill's Imaginate

Making Hay

When I got to the stables this evening to feed and check on Mouse, the paddocks set aside for hay had all been turned and heaped up ready to be baled. I love everything about this other than the scratched arms, from lifting bales onto the hay rick!
The smell of warm hay is lovely, you can smell it all round the yard, then there is the chugging sound of the bailer as it grabs the hay into bales.
Maybe its because I lived all my younger years on farms, or maybe it is simply lovely.
YOU CAN TAKE THE GIRL OUT OF THE COUNTRY, BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE COUNTRY OUT OF THE GIRL!