Spread your wings and fly away

Thank you to everyone for taking the trouble to wish me happy birthday, both here and on fb. I a truly overwhelmed!

My day has been good. A bottle of wine from a friend, theatre tickets from another, a cross pendant to add to my collection from my husband and two sons, and gift vouchers from some colleagues at work.

Unfortunately unable to go out for a meal tonight as I had parent's evening for my youngest son, who seems to be doing well, but we will be going out for a meal as a family tomorrow evening instead.

Then on Saturday, an evening out with some girlfriends from work, so I am truly being spoilt!

So for all of you please enjoy a virtual slice of cake or tiffin, made by my own fair hands

My heart is breaking.

Yesterday, our beloved greyhound, Laddie, who had been steadily losing weight this week despite eating well, collapsed, gasping for breath.

We rushed him to the vets, where we made the decision to have him put to sleep. The vet did offer to do tests, but none of us wanted to put him through all that only to find that whatever he had was untreatable, we wanted the best quality of life for him and he has been steadily going down hill since Christmas. He had problems with his back legs, and struggled to move them in order to lay down, recently not wanted to go for a walk, which was so unlike him. Over the last week, he had a few times where he made an awful sound, like he was trying to get his breath. It was like listening to someone having an asthma attack, yet, as quickly as it started, it would go. Although we were concerned by this, he would then act like a puppy, throwing his toys around and run in the garden, so no we weren't unduly concerned.

Then, at the beginning of the week, I noticed that he was losing weight. Never being a 'fat' dog, he was losing his muscular definition, his ribs were showing, making him look as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. Then on Friday he went off his food, a dog that will eat as though it is going out of fashion.

We hoped, on Friday, that if this was it, he would go quietly, surrounded by his family, yet Saturday morning, he gobbled up his breakfast, ran round the garden, and was his sprightly self again, until around 4pm, my eldest son let him out and watched him as he collapsed, making that dreadful gasping noise.

The vet, after listening to his heart, did say it was going far too fast and that she was 90% certain he had heart disease. She offered to do tests, but as difficult as the decision was, we declined and asked that he should be put to sleep. She agreed that we were making the right decision as there was no guarantee he would survive the myriad of tests that they would have to do, and greyhounds metabolisms tend not to cope with the anaesthetic that would be required to enable to do those tests. We didn't think it would be fair to put him through all that.

Yet I feel this huge sense of guilt today. His brother, Baron, is looking as lost as we feel. We allowed him to sniff his brother and to say goodbye before we buried him with his favourite toy, his pillow and some chew sticks to take with him to Rainbow bridge, where no doubt, he is running around with our other dog, Gazza, while he waits for us to join him.

RIP Laddie, you were always a faithful friend.

8th February 2001 - 13th April 2013
Laddie loved sitting in front of the fire.

He loved gardening so much, we had no grass left as he kept digging it up!

He loved a pillow to rest his head on.

Well, hubby and I went away for the weekend, leaving our two children to fend for themselves. Before you report me for bad parenting skills, eldest son, 21, looked after his brother, 14, for the 3 nights we were away for, and I am pleased to say, he did a good job, especially as his brother decided on Saturday, to be ill! Rather than phoning us up and telling us all about it, knowing I would panic, eldest just got on with it all, told his brother to stay in bed and made sure he ate and drank plenty!

We spent our weekend away at Wyboston Lakes hotel just outside Bedford, about 5 miles from St. Neots. We arrived on Friday, booked in, took our things to the room and unpacked, before setting off to the restaurant for our dinner and a few drinks in the bar.

Our room was clean and tidy, a safe for our valuables (if we had any), ensuite bath and shower, clean towels that were changed daily, and hairdryer, tea/coffee facilities. The bed was huge! It was lovely and comfotable as well!!

Nigel trying the bed out for size!

The next day we ate a full English cooked breakfast, before heading to St. Neots to have a browse around. It has been a few years since I last visited St. Neots, in fact eldest was a new born, and I used to bundle him into the car, with our dog and drive up there to go and have a walk along the river, marvelling at the river boats, before wandering along the town. We paid to stay for 3 hours, we were back at the car within half an hour! It is disappointing to see the amount of charity shops are on the high street now, though I think that is the way of most high streets nowadays!

We headed off to Cambridge, another place I haven't been to for quite some time, in fact I think I was a teenager the last time I had been there!! We parked just outside and hopped onto the park and ride that took us into the town. One thing I did notice was the amount of people riding bicycles, there were quite a few of them, as well as the ones that were tied to railings dotted around the town. We even saw a child get run over by a person riding a bicycle, who carried on riding past as if nothing had happened! Fortunately the child was ok, even if the parents were shaken up by the experience!

I did love Cambridge though, it's variety of architecture, the bustling coffee shops, the people who just stop in front of you to take a picture! Of course, as in any town or high street, you get the same shops, the malls, but go down a side street and you come across one of the many colleges, which form part of the university, or an independent shop with many a curio or distinctive item of clothing! Something different from the norm! Of course I was at one point in seventh heaven when hubby and I found a bookshop called Heffers. Hubby went one way, I went the other, and an hour or two :cough::ahem: of browsing later, we emerged into daylight again, empty handed, but only because I could have spent our entire weekend budget in that one shop

I wish we could have stayed longer in Cambridge, but alas we had to head back to the hotel, but we have promised ourselves to visit again, perhaps in the Summer and spend more time there, sightseeing

Once back at the hotel, we spent an hour in the hotel gym before getting ready for our evening meal, and spending the evening at the bar

Sunday, after another cooked breakfast, we had a wander around the hotel grounds, while avoiding the golfers that were having lessons or just teeing off on the green!

After this we got in the car, and did something we haven't done for a while, just opened the road map on a page and picked somewhere to visit on that page! Fortunately not too far away was a place called West Stow, which has an Anglo Saxon Village, so off we headed to have a look at the reconstructed buildings, the museum and to take a walk on one of the many nature trails! Of course, we pick a day where they were holding a Lord of the Rings event, though there weren't many children around! We have paid for a year's ticket though, as we hope to take the children back there in the summer holidays as it is something they will be interested in. The ticket will also admit us to the museum in Bury St Edmunds, which bizarrely, hubby and I haven't been to for a while and were talking about visiting sometime this year - so it was a true bargain!

After our long walk, we returned to the hotel where we took advantage of the health and fitness suite, doing some exercise on the treadmill and the rowing machine, before going for a swim in the pool. Another delicious dinner was consumed before we retired for the evening!

So now we are home and back to the reality of it all

Our first holiday, to Disneyworld Florida, was in August 2005.

While there, we purchased some Disney Dollars, as a memento of our first family holiday abroad, to the land of the Mouse. They have sat, in an envelope ever since, until hubby had a brainwave and decided to take them to the local framers to get them framed.

I picked it up today, and really pleased with the result!

It is raining heavily here today, but that won't stop me from celebrating later!

Have a good one

Blessed Be x

I am tired.

Work obviously doesn't agree with me, or the fact that I have to get up at 5.45 doesn't! Still feel the need to hibernate!

Ache all over as well, hope I am not coming down with anything, last thing I need!

Oh well better trudge off to work!

Have a good day

A heart warming story to start this New Year and indeed a wise lesson for those inconsiderate people who share their mobile conversations with those around them.

After a tiring day, a commuter settled down in her seat and closed her eyes as the train rolled out of the station.
A s the train began the trip, the guy sitting next to her pulled out his cell phone and started talking in a loud voice:
"Hi sweetheart. It's Eric. I'm on the train. Yes, I know it's the six thirty and not the four thirty, but I had a long meeting.
No, honey, not with that blonde from the accounts office. With the boss. No sweetheart, you're the only one in my life.
Yes, I'm sure, cross my heart!"

Fifteen minutes later, he was still talking loudly, when the young woman sitting next to him had had enough and leaned over and said into the phone,
"Eric, turn that phone off and come back to bed."

Eric doesn't use his cell phone in public any longer.
[Smile]

It is snowing here again.

I am not happy.

If I can't have sun all year round, then I demand that when it snows I should be allowed to hibernate.

I hate it!

Our road is icy, so icy the kids could ice skate on it and driving down out road is treacherous!

Then, just as we think it is over, more comes along and starts to fall!

Can you tell I am sulking!

If you like a good crime, thriller, action, adventure novel, I can recommend this author, Chris Kuzneski, who has a new book out called The Hunters.

I received my copy today, so of course cannot say how good it is, but he has written others which are very good.

The reason why I am so excited about this one, is because he allowed his 'fans' to vote on the cover that they would like. If you voted then he would get his publishers to print your name in the back of his book.

I voted! I am in print!

I've never been acknowledged in a book before, it is rather exciting!

My new catchphrase, courtesy of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel film.

I first saw this film on the plane, as we headed to Florida, and my eldest son bought me the DVD for Christmas. I love it! From the start, you connect and find yourself caring about its characters and although there is an element of sadness about this film it is not tragic – it is tender, charming, witty, uplifting, inspiring, and even empowering. There are lots of laugh out loud moments as well as scenes that make you want to cry, beautiful, colourful scenes of India, good actors; Bill Nighy, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Celia Imrie to name just a few. It is a film that had everything to make you feel good as well as lots of words of wisdom that make you stop and think about your own life.

Nothing happens unless you dream first!
When life isn’t somehow going along as expected it’s the bits that happen instead that are usually the good bits.
The only real failure is the failure to try and all we can do is to get up in the morning and do our best. Nothing else matters.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing.
Everything will be alright in the end, and if it's not alright, then it is not the end.

If you haven't seen it, then I urge you to give it a go, you may be surprised

Don't you just hate it when you go to bed absolutely shattered, then spend the night tossing and turning and wishing you could sleep?

This happened to me last night. Hubby and I sat and watched a couple of DVDs, then feeling tired, me nearly falling asleep, we headed off upstairs to bed.

Of course, he went to sleep straightaway, and I was just starting to doze off when I heard a noise outside. Now obviously it will only be the animals moving outside, I know that, but my brain had other ideas. It is dark, so needless to say, my mind went on a whirlwind of theories as to what the noise was. I eventually got up and walked about the house, then, once my mind was a rest that we weren't being burgled, that there weren't any giants, ghosts or poltergeists or other nasties waiting to attack us in our beds, I crawled back to my duvet and settled down for the night, whereupon I tossed and turned, and tossed some more.

I couldn't sleep and as it turns out, neither could hubby who apparently I had disturbed when I had got out of bed to do my search!

Oh well, Just having a cuppa and seen hubby on his way to work, may just crawl back to bed for an hour or two!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a good time seeing the new year in, whether in company or by yourselves.

I haven't made any resolutions really, but today hubby and I have started on our plan to lose weight. So far I am doing ok, though my body is screaming at me 'feed me! feed me!" which it always does as soon as I start on these things!

Usually I can go most of the day without eating and not be bothered by it!

However I need to stick to this because I need to do something to shift the bulk of my weight, or face an operation on my ankle which I do not want - yet.

So today I start the new year trying to stay focused and on track, and hubby is joining me though not sure how long he will keep at it all!

Done nothing today but chill out and relax. Hubby goes back to work tomorrow, I am off till the 7th but have a lot of work to do before I head off back.

So hope the start to your year has been good so far and long may it continue!

Hugs xx