CAROLS.

 Isn't it lovely to see our beautiful Princess of Wales looking so happy to be back in the role as a working Royal. Here she is getting things organised for her 'Together At Christmas,' carol service. It's scheduled to take place at Westminster Abby on December 6th. 

On her X account there is a video of the invitations being printed. Set to the back ground of Jingle Bells, there is a montage of gears and machinery whirring into motion, as they stamp out the Princesses gilded gold royal cypher; a cursive C for Catherine, placed underneath the crown.

'Something exciting is coming,' the post caption reads, the invitations are hot off the press for this years 'Together at Christmas'

It's to be shown on ITV Christmas Eve..We will be watching it.

When we lived in Essex we went to a different Carol Concert in London every year.. there is one here but these days we choose to watch them on TV and attend an afternoon Carol Service, which we love,,...roll on Christmas, we love everything about it.

Chrisxx

Thank you everyone for your kind comments, I'm more or less ok,  still a bit wobbly as a sleep deprived

A bit fragile

 I don't know if I need a week but do need a few days rest, not well.

Same o same o problem, but seen a Dr so on the mend but still a bit wobbly.

I've put my order to Dh for the snacks to be ice cream!

Chrisxx

We Will Remember Them

 

Such a waste of lives and there are still wars today in our troubled world.

Chrisxx

A life changing brief moment.

 Isn't strange how our memories can hop around and suddenly you're back there, living it all over again. That was me a few days ago, all because some one asked me why I walked with my 'Rhet Butler' my wheels! And I was back the memory of nearly over balancing 5 years ago in lockdown, while we were living in Suffolk. And I bought my Rollator. I can walk on even ground without it, but still using a walking stick.. all because of a broken arm. 

It all happened just like that, so simply... we'd had our Italian Evening class and were leaving the college, hand in hand as you do, and at the exit doors the group of people in front of us, stopped just outside to light up their cigs.  Dh and I let go our hands and as I went to step aside to go round them, the next thing I knew I was pitching forward and put out my hand and that was it, my right humerus broke!

I spent over an hour on the ground and when eventually an ambulance arrived and tried in vane to put a needle in a vein; I was then taken to Colchester hospital. It was a night mare, they wanted to keep me over night and I was worried about the dog at home. Dh left about 11 and I spent a very uncomfortable night in the ER on a trolley. They had cut open my beautiful cerise coloured jumper, which really upset me. The pain was controlled and I did doze, but I was very unhappy.

Dh came to get me the next morning and I was allowed home with a brace, not a cast and told there would be no need for an op. and it would heal in the next few months. It didn't and it hasn't really healed, That was 2015, the next year a different consultant operated on it twice and in 2017 I was referred to The Royal London Orthopedic Hospital,  where I had two more ops, including a shoulder replacement.. And all I can say is,  that one broken arm has changed my life completely. I don't have full use of my arm, so struggle to do loads of things.. but buying that Rollator was a good idea because it has taken the fear out of falling again and I walk really well with it. Yesterday I walked along the sea front, well wrapped up, although it wasn't that chilly!! And watched the sea, quite calm and gently rolling in.. lovely! For a short moment the clouds parted, but most of the time, it was a grey afternoon. But the fresh air was clear and I enjoyed the walk... still under a mile but I want to go a bit further each time to strengthen my legs and help with losing weight

Chrisxx

Memories.

 Sometimes when I'm feeling low I delve back into memories of my past. I've said before I didn't have the best of childhoods but my one Aunty, Aunty Glad did her very best for me.

She bought this for me every week and the Christmas annual too.

I absolutely loved it and while some of the stories revolved around Secret Societies, wrongly accused heroines, plucky girls getting caught up in some passing intrigue, ski trips, historical tales, it did occasionally stray into the supernatural tinged adventures. 

Strange thing is it was written with middle class girls in view and I was well down in the pecking order of wealthy families.. It never occurred to me that I was so very different to them, I just accepted the stories as being there. I loved the 'Silent Three,'  girls who got up to all sorts of scrapes.  They were in a boarding school which was well beyond my imagination.. little did I guess that, at 12 years of age I too, was in a boarding school, which I loved.. I loved everything about it.

I shared a room with four other girls, one with whom I'm still in contact. Such a very happy time in my life, all paid for by my Aunty Glad. Such a lot to thank her for.  When I was living in Essex and she was older, I used to visit her every third weekend, driving the 230 miles to see her. When she went through a bad state with arthritis in her knees I got a wheel chair from the Red Cross and we used to go to the prom for a delish ice cream, an escape from my gran for an hour or two and we drank coffee, probably Camp!   Great times.

What about you, what are your happy childhood memories?

Chrisxx

Baby Quilt

 This has been a real labour of love and a lot of tears of frustration, with my useless right arm. I could not get my arm up onto the machine plate to guide the stitching and did this mostly one handed.

But with tears and screams I've done it. They are the best corners on the binding I've ever done. I watched a 'you tube' quilter about 20 times, I was so determined to get them perfectly mitred. I've hand stitched around the figures and 'machined in the ditch' the seams.

It has not been easy and although I've cut enough squares to do another one for charity, I think I'll give it a rest for a few weeks.

But I did it,..... ta----da!

Chrisxx

Happy News

 We had very broken nights sleep Saturday night as Dh's daughter was in hospital expecting her first baby.. She had gone in, because it is an IVF baby and was being treated with kid gloves.. 

She didn't go to the maternity ward till late on the Saturday night so we were on tender hooks.. but nothing was happening.. we waited all day and had the phone call late yesterday ....a baby girl, 7lbs 3oz by caesarian section.. such happy news and a relief.. we both slept soundly last night!

Chrisxx

A Medicine?

 Things that go through my mind when I can't sleep. The other night one of my thoughts were...when did they start drinking tea in Britain? I remember studying about the spice trades and the journeys from the Asian continent and I remembered it was 1650's when it arrived in England.

When I looked it up I found that it is suggested that tea is the most popular beverage in the world after water. It's a simple preparation of pouring water over cured leaves of the Camellia Sinesis plant, and was first recorded in the 3rd Century AD

But then I thought I only drink de-caff these days, so what about that tea? I lie there awake.. then I want a cuppa, when it gets to about 6 to 7- ish, I whisper to Dh to check if he's awake,  'Do you want a cuppa?'  And the love he is, he gets up and makes the tea.  That first morning cuppa is like nectar! Each time I was in hospital having surgery on my arm, he used to bring me a de-caff from the Costa shop.

And of course it has to be a china cup!

When you really think about it, tea is like a medicine.

Feeling cold, cup of tea.

Feeling hot, cup of tea,

Feeling Sad, cup of tea.

Bad news, cup of tea.

Celebration, cup of tea.

Visitors, cup of  tea.

Feeling weary, cup of tea.

Its suggested that tea boosts the immune system

Fights inflammation,

Supports heart health,

Prevents certain cancers,

Provides antioxidants.

Wow! I knew there was a reason to be drinking tea all day!!

Do you?

Chrisxx

What a surprise on our Sunday Afternoon!

 Photos of the American and Hot Rod meet Sunday afternoon, the sun shone and the promenade was crowded. We were there walking and enjoying the sun, the sea air and an ice cream.  And then vroom. vroom they arrived, one with a police siren and horns about 50 in total.

The whole event was planned for the folks with cars to enjoy the cruise and get together. It was great, that there were so many people there to enjoy it, as its the first event of this type. It looked as though it was a great success, so its suggested the guys with the inspiration may organise more and find a way to let people know, so that they'll come to see them all.

It was very impressive and the atmosphere was electric, the noise, the colours, the sunshine and all the people visiting!  My sons, who are car mad would have loved it! 

And at the end of the afternoon, the sea was calm and all the visitors went home..

It was a lovely day for us and I walked a just over a mile! I loved the ice cream best, uncase you asked!

Chrisxx

(Photos curtesy of Johnnie Hughes)

The Wilderness.

 My town has an area of urban green space near to the town centre, known as The Wilderness,  Its cared for by volunteers who visit there every morning to feed the swans.

The lake was enlarged about 20 years ago and supports a variety of fish and now is about 3 acres.

It's a beautiful area and valued by the town's people.. there was an item on the town's face book page the other week, about a cygnet found floundering on the duel carriage way, which used to be the railway and runs parallel to the Wilderness; it was supposed that it was a failed first flight and guided back to the lake! It's visited each year by Canada Geese, which we often see flying over our home, both night and morning.

The hen, named Angel has a deformed wing, but is perfectly alright and has had several broods in the three years she has been there

It is teaming with wild life, birds, trees and small creatures and in 2020 a group of volunteers planted 2000 bluebells and 2000 daffodils.

Why am I telling you all this is because, when I was little I played there with school friends and it was just a scrubby area with a thin trickle of a stream. I often went home with wet muddy knicks where I had slipped over.. there wasn't any visible wild life, just a lot of screaming children. It was a heavenly place to play altho' not approved by my grandmother, but then who would have told her where I had been? I certainly didn't and there was a neighbour often around to clean me up before I ventured home!

I was amazed when I moved back here 3 years ago, how different it was.. thankfully it will always be looked after by groups of volunteers. 

A truly beautiful place well worth looking after.

Chrisxx