Friday 29 April 2011

3am

I am up, not surprisingly, watching the crime channel which usually has something on at this time, and I have to wonder if Kate Middleton is getting any sleep tonight, poor girl! Good luck to them for the Royal Wedding.
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Thursday 28 April 2011

An apple a day...

Found some tiny apples in tesco but they are so sweet (looks wise and taste wise) so I got a bag, put them in the fruit basket with the remaining big apple and some plums which I hope will take the hint and ripen!
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Wednesday 27 April 2011

Nice

I had a lovely twitter peep say that the blog was nice today and it made feel good! Not only that people must, occasionally look at it but that it is also an OK thing. I follow lots of blogs and they all offer something different, I hope mine is as good as them. I only post relatively short musings, but they are usually to the point!

Anyway, I have just been into town, errands to run before the next bank holiday weekend when I'm not sure if things will be open. Although Friday is the Royal Wedding, it is also my father's 70th birthday, although he doesn't want to acknowledge it really which I can totally understand, I don't acknowledge mine either, but I will go and see them, drop off his gift and probably miss the whole Royal wedding and I'm really not that bothered, it will be on the news constantly with replays and highlights, don't think I'll miss anything that important!

Bye for now!

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Poem: Lying awake

1am, I’m lying awake in the dark peacefulness

The sash window is open a fraction, the breeze blows in

Cool and silent, making the dolphins on the thin curtain dance

A car passes by slowly; I heard it coming a mile away...

Read the rest HERE

Chernobyl

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the blast at Chernobyl. I have been a supporter of the 'Chernobyl Children's Project International' for years, children are still being born NOW suffering the effects of the disaster. Remember today, nuclear power is all well and good until something goes wrong.

Monday 25 April 2011

Night garden

After a lovely afternoon eating at my folks, we went round to a friend's who rang to say they had just lit the chiminea in the garden. When we arrived everyone was sitting by a cracking fire in the evening air, the guitars were out and chat commenced! It was lovely, slightly chilly so the fire was great then at 10.38pm we watched the International Space Station go overhead - one of my favourite things to see! Great end to a lovely day.

Sunday 24 April 2011

Easter Sunday

Hi all, I hope you are having a lovely day. We had a fantastic thunder storm yesterday evening which has helped freshen the air so today, although it is warm, it isn't so tiring - saying that I am off to my folk's for Easter lunch so I will definitely be tired walking home after full of food!

Saturday 23 April 2011

New fish

Bought some more neon tetras to keep the clown loaches company, just settling them in. Also got them a fresh plant and some bloodworms - I'm a good fish mummy!

We have wonderful thunder at the moment, the deep heavy kind rather than the crashy type, hope we get some rain really, the hills and garden need it badly.

Picture of my goldfish 'fishy':

Saturday

Well, its a hot one but I have to get in the car and do things, I will be stopping at a garden centre though so not all bad - except it will be soooo busy! Never mind, hard to be grumpy on a sunny day.

Hope you are all well, if you stop by and have a read do follow me, the more the merrier!
Bye for now.

Friday 22 April 2011

Good Friday

What a wonderful day again, the weather is glorious, had a lie-in, lots of tea, sausage sarnies for brunch then an afternoon in the garden at my folk's. Bliss! I hope you are all having a nice day wherever you are.
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Amazing moon

It is 2.37am and I just looked out of the window to see a very low, orange moon in the night sky. Wonderful, and a bit eerie. It is totally quiet outside, not a bird, not a gust of wind - the benefits of being a night owl!

Thursday 21 April 2011

Peaceful

Yesterday evening was just beautiful. It was quiet in the street where I live, a hazy pink sunset was showing over the rooftops, the neighbour's chickens were chuckling away happily and there was the smell of watered gardens in the air. I stood by the window and took it in for ages - this is spring. Long may it last.

As I got up this morning the sun had broken through the haze suggesting another warm day and there is a light breeze wafting in through the windows, all I can hear apart from the hum of traffic is the birds. How amazing and good for the soul!

Wednesday 20 April 2011

I have two garden related articles HERE if you want to read them - one about how to attract frogs to your garden and the other about the benefits of horse manure as a fertilizer!
P.S Thanks Derek for the follow! :)

Garden

A very productive day was had yesterday in the greenhouse, grow-bags bought, tomato plants in! They are all looking great so far. Outside the peas are growing well and some of the mint we lost over winter has reappeared, beetroot, beans, salad stuff, cauliflower, and loads more are all in so now to wait - and do a lot of watering as we still haven't had any rain to speak of and its only spring!

Sunday 17 April 2011

Get kids outdoors!

Check out my article on how to make hiking fun for kids HERE

Pool party

Yesterday was the daughter of a friend's 9th birthday party which she had a the local swimming pool, I was on the side looking after my goddaughter and they all looked to have a wonderful time, there was a huge inflatable assault course thing which kept most of them well amused and the hour flew by! It was lovely to see the kids being energetic, laughing and interacting with each other - some of us adults did comment that the pool should do pool parties for the grown ups too! Great fun.

Friday 15 April 2011

Well...it rained overnight, thank you weather Gods!

Thursday 14 April 2011

Gardening

Had a lovely afternoon in the garden tending veggie seedlings, it is very dry though - had to do some watering and we are hoping for rain soon, the water-butt is empty and its only April! Overnight rain would be great, it wouldn't impact on our days but would do a lot of good!

Anyway, it is still rewarding to see things growing and doing well, our frogs seem to have abandoned us for next door's posh new pond...they'll be back for our shady brick pile in a couple of months though I bet!

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Hope for sleep

I usually sleep well, but lately I have been having disturbing dreams, the kind that wake you up and you find your heart racing, you are overheated , panicked and have been crying in your sleep...not nice at all. Sometimes I can't remember the subject, last night I dreamt my parent's house had been sold without my knowledge and they had moved to a dark, impersonal place filled with doom. A shrink would have a field day with me! Rather than pay to be analysed, I got up, did some breathing exercises and relaxed in the darkness until I drifted off again on the sofa, after which I slept fine...I can still remember the dream though.

So I am going to go for a walk in the evening sun and try to blow away the cobwebs of bad dreams and hope for a more peaceful night tonight!

Saturday 9 April 2011

Beautiful day

I was helping move some furniture yesterday, my van broke down but we did it with another vehicle which meant I ended u[p not driving - lovely, I got to sit and look at the stunning Shropshire views on a perfect spring day instead! We were up in North Shropshire which I don't usually get to as I live in the south, but it was lovely to see spring arriving everywhere. By the time we drove back it was evening, people were out by the river in Shrewsbury, the sun was setting behind the hills and a perfect crescent moon had appeared - just wonderful. Its days like that that make one sure that the world is a beautiful place - breakdowns aside as it were!

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Night owl

'For as long as I can remember I have been a night person - not an insomniac - just naturally nocturnal. I would usually be awake through the night as a child, I did my homework better if I attempted it at night, somehow ideas and creativity came to me more easily in the evenings rather than struggling away earlier in the day...'

Read the rest of this article HERE

Monday 4 April 2011

Bat action!

Had an amazing evening last night watching bats feeding on the River Corve underneath a bridge and along the banks, obviously it was impossible to count how many there actually were but I'd say esily a dozen. Totally silent, occassionally breaking the surface of the water for a low-flying insect, rising into the sky to give a perfect silhouette - heaven, just the sound of sheep and lambs in the distance and the gurgling of the water - it doesn't get much better than that for me!

Sunday 3 April 2011


Happy Mothers Day to all the Mums out there - especially mine! I am also remembering my auntie, 2 nans and great-gran who have all passed over but are still very much part of my life.

We have a mix of sunshine and showers here today, so just the right weather to have whilst sitting in the conservatory at my folk's eating a roast!

Saturday 2 April 2011

Evening stroll


Just been for my evening stroll - what a lovely sunset tonight, all different colours showing on clouds and land. It was also very still and the birdsong was beautiful, makes one feel peaceful somehow. This photo is off a sun-topped cloud I could see from my window when I got home, it almost looks like a snowy mountain top - just gorgeous!