Goodbye – For a Little While.

I feel quite sad writing this post, I am for the time being going to suspend my blog, “The Last post” ends here for a while.  There is a lot going on in my life just now and I can only concentrate on one thing at a time.

Emily and I have decided to go back to the coast to spend some quiet time together, I have very understanding employers who suspend my contract for me and Emily owns her own business so there are no time restrictions for us.

There are some personal issues I want to address, nothing at all to worry about, I am quite well – just think of it as maintenance rather than damage control.  Then I want to spend Christmas with my family, we usually all gather at my parent’s house and this is very special occasion for me.

So all being well I will resume my blog sometime in the New Year.

Thank you to all my blogging friends who have left me such nice comments, please, please do not forget about me and my little blog it is not the end just a little intermission.

To end with I want to leave you a photograph of my little lane where the white flowers grow.

With love,
Sandy
XXXXXX

Snap.

If I see something I want to photograph the procedure is quite simple, I take out my mobile telephone, select the camera option and click – I have a picture.  I admit it may not be a perfect picture but it is a picture none the less.

However when Emily takes a photograph the procedure is quite different and requires the two of us.

First from the small suitcase she carries we extract a camera that must have cost her a couple of months salary and has more buttons, dials, buzzers and gizmos than a space ship.  Next we switch on the camera and spend a few minutes reading the little computer screen on the top and make the necessary adjustments.  Now this is the critical point, we align the shot – I am not allowed to speak during this operation as it requires a great amount of concentration.

But we have not yet taken the photograph, a little light has told her that the camera needs yet more adjustment and she has decided a different lense is required.  I am then handed the camera to hold (“with both hands please Sandy”) while she rummages around for a lense that looks exactly the same as the one already attached.  The old lense is detached, I have to cover the hole with my hand so a bug or something doesnt fly in while the other lense if readied and finally clicked into place.

There then follows more adjustment, alignment, a look of intense concentration then as I wait with bated breath we finally press the button and in the space of a second she has taken fifty shots machine gun style of the exact same subject.

I think I prefer my way, it is so much easier.

Will You Walk With Me Please?

Right, we will start our walk at the far end of the village by the war memorial, it is situated in a lovely peaceful place and if you don’t mind we will pause here a little while just to be aware of those brave souls who died so very young.  Off now towards the high street, the flowers in the churchyard and really pretty this year, past the bank and the cafe.  They have tables on the footpath now, the smells from within are so inviting and they always have customers.

Crossing the road to have a look in the clothes boutique, I won’t keep you long just want a quick look inside.  Walking now towards the end of the village towards the bridge, we will stop again here to watch my family of ducks who live on the stream.  That light brown one over there sitting on the bank is new, not quite sure where he came from but he is settling in well.

We are out of the village now and the sounds of the cars and people quickly fade, all we can hear is the wind and the birds singing in the trees.  Do you see that little row of houses over there?  well rumour has it that just after the war a murder was committed in the middle house.  I always found this quite scary – if it is true and it is a big if I wonder who the poor victim was.

We turn left here, down the lane where the white flowers grow, the house on the corner is the one I was telling you about.  Do you remember, the one that was for sale.  There is a father and daughter who live here now but no mother – I do hope it is not a sad story, I haven’t spoken to them yet but we have exchanged brief smiles.

Just along the lane now, there do you see those lovely oak trees on the bend – thats where we are heading for.  Just round the bend and there is my house sheltered beneath the trees.  Here we are at my garden gate and where we part company I am going inside now for a cup of coffee and a long hot bath.

Thank you for walking home with me.

Goodbye.

Nearly Done.

What a week.

Stripping the old wallpaper went well, my sister lent me a weird contraption that steamed off the old paper so I quite enjoyed myself doing that.  Sanding the woodwork was a bit of a task and not at all good for the finger nails, again my sister lent me a drill attachment (and a drill) but this I chose not to use .  All I succeeded in doing was ripping the sand-paper and making little spirals on the plaster when it slipped off the woodwork, so at the cost of my nails I sanded by hand.

Painting I can do – although the paint I chose (antique white) was a little streaky and  needed two coats, and two brushes.  The first of which set rock hard over night.  Filling in the (many) cracks in the plaster is simple, you just put a little of the paste on a scraper and scrape over the crack.  Job done – not a problem.

Paper hanging.  How can slapping some glue on a piece of paper and sticking it on a wall be so hard.  I got glue absolutely everywhere and kept ripping the paper.  Then I would put in on the wall and it would crinkle when I tried to match up the pattern, if it didn’t crinkle a bubble would appear and it didn’t crinkle or bubble I would find I had cut it too short.

So after a temper tantrum that would have scared the bravest of people which involved ripping up a piece of wallpaper throwing it around the room then catapulting the remainder out of my window I called my Dad who did it in two days.

I just have a few little bits and pieces to put right, I am going to have a wooden (laminated) floor put down, maybe some new curtains – I will have to see how the pennies go – then the job will be finished.  Next task is the hallway and kitchen, due to start commencement in the not too distant future.

Chaos.

Please forgive me for not leaving many comments or posts for that matter.  I am decorating.

It started Monday night, I was curled up on my sofa reading a book when I started to play with a one inch piece of loose wallpaper.  By the time I went to bed I had ripped a two foot square patch off my wall.  Why oh why did I do this?

My little house is in total chaos, everything that was in my lounge is now crammed into my hallway, I am spending my days at work and my evenings alternating between the following moods.

Creativity – I have big ideas for my lounge, hallway and eventually kitchen.

Panic – When I stop to think what I have started.

And I have to admit Temper Tantrums when things do not go according to plan.

I will blog sporadically with the occasional update, assuming I remember which pile of wallpaper my laptop is hidden under.

Went The Night Well.

Emily stayed the night yesterday, I had a lovely evening planned but somehow it spiralled into wonderful, funny and lovely chaos.  It was one of those evenings where everything seamed to be so hilariously funny.

To give you an idea at one point we were playing (yes we are adults) heads and shoulders, knees and toes and getting into quite a state with the movements.  There then followed a session of “pat-a-cake” where we ended up going that fast my hands started to sting.

Talking of cakes I had bought a chocolate cream cake, I was just about to divide it when Emily sprang into the Kitchen, I spun round and the result can be seen in the photograph below.

I cannot begin to describe how funny this was at the time, I was laughing so much my tummy still hurts now.    I feel so light and happy now because of an evening spent with my good friend and then when I logged onto my blog a few minutes ago I was greeted with such lovely, kind and encouraging comments from my blogging friends I felt as though I had won the lottery – thank you all so much.

To end I thought you would like to see how my house is lit in the evenings.

Missed Out.

I was really hurt on Friday, I was not going to blog about this but putting my feeling into words helps – I don’t know why but it does.

I do not have a high powered job, some would say it is a little dull but I like it, I take a pride in what I do and always try my best.  We have a system that when someone moves on or is promoted everyone shuffles up the line – so to speak. One of my friends is leaving soon, we only socialise at work but I do like her and will miss her when she goes.

The announcement of her departure was made on Wednesday and on Friday everyone shuffled up the line.  Everyone except me, what makes it worse and is also very obvious is that the office junior actually “leap-frogged” me and now has a better position.

Please, please do not think it is sour grapes, I am so pleased for our junior and wish him well in his new position but it has really hurt my feeling that I was missed out.  I think I know why – but my employers knew about my past when I started, and besides don’t we live in a society of equal opportunities.

I resolved to be brave about it but childishly burst into tears on my way home, goodness know what the people in the village thought but I suppose they are used to me by now.

Anyway to end on a happier note Emily is staying with me tomorrow night and I am really excited about it, I have bought her a little present, it is a little gypsy caravan with gypsy teddy bears and I cannot wait to see the look on her face when she sees it.

How I Live.

A telephone call:-

Me : Emily, what can I blog about?

Emily : Why don’t you tell everyone about the weird way you live.

Me : Its not weird its nice.

Emily : Whatever you say – oh and I think its OK that your going Goth.

Me : ???????

Emily : I read your blog.

Me : Ah

I don’t think I live a weird lifestyle, well it’s not weird to me.  I just keep electrical goods to a minimum, I think too many luxury items detract from the beauty of living simply.  In my lounge I have a television, my laptop and broadband box.  In my kitchen I have a fridge and a freezer.  My cooker is gas.

Apart from a mobile telephone that’s about it.  No electric table lights they are all paraffin lamps, I am writing this post by my back window making good use of the last of Gods beautiful daylight before I close down for the night and light my candles.  I only turn on the television when I want to watch a particular program then turn it straight off again, I do have ceiling lights but only try to use them when I drop my matches in the dark.  Or if I sneeze and blow out a candle.

Please do not get me wrong, I have nothing at all against luxury items, if you work hard then you deserve them.  I just find I am happiest living as simply and as close to nature as I can. I prefer to walk everywhere because you get a better perspective of distance and time on foot.  Plus you can stop and just stare at the pretty flowers that grow along the side of the path.

I only bought a car for my holidays and the sad fact that in this modern world it is safer than walking when the nights grow dark.

The daylight is fading fast now, the oak trees at the bottom of my garden are swaying in a gentle breeze that is blowing across the fields, the air smells warm and perfumed and  soon the foxes will be patrolling my garden.

I am off now to light my candles.

Goodnight and God bless to all in the blogosphere.

Friends

How do I let my friends know how much they mean to me.  How do I thank them for their encouragement, support, concern and acceptance.  How do I let my friends know they have made me feel so happy that although I walk on this earth my spirit dances with the angels.

All I can say is simply “Thank You” and offer this, a gesture of my own making, a wonderful friend’s award.

If you wish please feel free to pass it onto others, but it would be rather nice if it could remain a one-off.  From me to you.

To Linda at Crone & Bear it
To Delaney at Delaney’s World
To Susan at Steppin Thru
To Bonnie at Mama K.
To Jia at Jia’s Blog (Well worth a visit by the way)

All my love, hugs and thanks for being “Wonderful Friends”

Goth Update (Becoming…..Me!)

I have started to experiment with a new look, I am only exploring possibilities at the moment and taking very small steps.  Today’s tiny step was to have my hair restyled and buy some boots.

I have kept my natural colour and the length at the back and sides.  It has been layered and cut less formal than before , my fringe and the hair on the top of my head have been cut so I can keep it tame for work but severely “fluffed” up when I want.  Different colours will come later.

Lastly the new boots.  They come mid way between my ankle and knee and have a heel that I will wobble on for some time yet.  What adds to the look and also to the one small problem is that they have hooks instead of eyes and take the better part of the afternoon to lace up.  But in my humble opinion look gorgeous.

More will follow – in time.