Photo Session

Becky brought the boys over today and we had a lovely time.  I wish you could see Nathan dance. He was stomping his feet to country music today and spinning around in circles.  I danced a lot with him and so did Becky.  I have not laughed as much in a very long time.

It turned into a photo session. Gave me an excuse to wear a new dress and put some make-up on.  Alas, we could not squeeze one smile from Daniel as he is having real trouble cutting his two upper front teeth.  Believe it or not, over eighty photographs were taken so I shall be busy saving them to disc later or tomorrow.  In the meantime I thought it would be nice to share a couple with you.

Finally, pictures of the boys taken on a day out over the last weekend holiday.  As you can see, Daniel was in a much happier mood and giving one of his beaming smiles. Nathan has had a haircut since then.

It is a lovely sunny evening here after a dull day, but believe me no sunshine outside could compare with the sunshine our two darling Grandsons bring into our lives.

Flora

The weather has thrown everything at us lately, strong winds, torrential rain, black skies and coldness and yet Mother Nature never fails us.  She is there waiting to display her finery so, no matter how much the weather gets us down or how much we may moan about it, look for the beauty of nature which is all around.  I am sharing with you today a few of the pictures that Mike has taken in our garden over the last couple of days.

The above are flowers on the Chives.  You are not supposed to let them bloom if using them for cooking purposes.  We prefer to see the flowers.

These are just my own selection, each one stunning in its own way. The variety and form of flowers never ceases to amaze me.  Now we are waiting for some warmer, drier weather and for our garden to be less like a swamp so that we can put in summer bedding.

Even Border Collies can enjoy the flowers

Thanks to all those that expressed interest in a ghost story that I have not yet told.  I have thought about it and if you still want me to post it, I will,  although it will run into several entries because you would have to know all the background.  I would be happy to post it when my bad neck and shoulder are really better (this is what has been keeping me from the computer and commenting on your journals).  Just let me know.  I am aware that some people do not like this sort of thing.  You would have to make up your own minds as to whether you believe it or not.  I know the truth because it happened to me.

Have a good week my friends.

Saturday Spooks

Some time ago, several of you mentioned that you would like to hear more ghost stories especially my own experiences. Well, I have covered just about all my experiences already in my journal, bar one. I do not intend to put that on my journal. For a start it is a very long and involved story and, secondly, people would probably not believe it. Although it happened to me and I have never forgotten it after many many years, even I wonder about it and how it could possibly be true ~ even though I know it was.

So, Becky has kindly consented to let me tell you about a couple of very strange things that happened to her and Dean.

When they got married, they did not plan a honeymoon. They just intended to return to their new house and spend time there. However, her chief bridesmaid, Rachel, had other ideas. Rachel’s Grandmother owned a couple of cottages in Yorkshire. After Rachel had chatted with her the Grandmother kindly offered them a week in one of those cottages. Naturally they were thrilled. It was a small place, what they call a two up and two down in a relatively quiet area with a nice garden.

Their bedroom was at the front of the house and was vaguely lit at night by a streetlamp outside. They slept with the bedroom door open. All went well for the first couple of nights. On about the third night Becky woke up suddenly and looking towards the open door she saw a shadowy male figure standing in the doorway. She thought that it was Dean and that he had arisen from bed to use the toilet. She turned her head only to see Dean sound asleep beside her! She quickly looked back to the door only to find that the figure had disappeared. At the same time she distinctly heard the sound of a steam train although all the trains on the railway were electric. Thinking it must have been a figment of her imagination she eventually drifted back off to sleep. Some time later she was awoken by Dean who asked her if she had heard the knocking. She was puzzled and said no. He then explained that he had been awakened by loud knocking and that it was obvious that the knocking was coming from the opened bedroom door. There was nobody there when he looked. Both of them being now thoroughly unsettled they went down to the lounge and spent the rest of the night there with the lights on. They could not get it out of their heads though and it made them uncomfortable in the cottage so eventually due to their ghostly experiences and to the weather which turned very bad, they cut short their honeymoon and came home, not before she had telephoned me to tell me of the strange happenings.

On another occasion, it was Becky’s Birthday and Dean had booked her a surprise treat - a short stay in a very expensive and exclusive hotel in Nottinghamshire. It had been a stately home until being converted into a hotel. It was very luxurious indeed. It was set in the middle of very extensive and beautiful grounds so when the lights went out at night it truly was pitch black, not a glimmer of light. On their second night, Dean was asleep and once again, Becky was suddenly awakened. She does not know how or why, to see lots of blue flashes of light in the room. She could not understand it because, as previously mentioned it was pitch dark. She turned her head and was confronted by a horrible sight. Hanging in mid-air was a face. She thought it to be female . The face was hideously contorted with bulging eyes and a protruding tongue and the head was over on one side. She said she could only imagine that the person had been hanged. She was very scared although when she looked again, the face had disappeared. She did not get much sleep that night. She said she felt she could not tell Dean. To leave the place would have lost them a lot of money and he had been so happy with his surprise present. Instead, she waited every night until he was asleep and then she put the light on. She eventually told him after they left. She never saw the face again and she never found an explanation for either of the ghostly happenings that she experienced. She has not forgotten them even to this day and especially the face. She does not like to think about it even now.

Finally, something that happened to Dean before he and Becky were married. Dean was originally a chef. He gave it up when he and Becky became serious involved. Due to the unsocial hours they hardly got to see each other.  He was working in a pub at the time, a pub that was reputed to be haunted but then he did not really believe in such things. There was a function on that evening so the doors between the kitchen and the function room had been locked to stop guests from wandering into the kitchen. Dean was not alone and the other chef with him witnessed what happened. Dean went to the fridge to get some butter out. Whoever had used it previously had left a knife embedded in it. He removed it from the fridge and left if on the side to soften. A little while later, whilst they were doing other things, the temperature in the room suddenly fell dramatically and both of them commented on it. Suddenly the knife came flying out of the butter and was “thrown” across the room, luckily it missed both of them and hitting the wall on the other side, it fell to the floor.

Dean could not wait to finish his contract and move on to pastures new. Apparently this pub was well-known for the sound of footsteps when there was nobody who could possibly have made them and for things being moved around after the place was closed and nobody was there.

Don't look behind you!

 

Letting You Know

Hello everyone,

Just to let you know that I shall be back doing my journal in a few days.  I have had a busy week with Nathan and Daniel and now I am a bit under the weather.  Hopefully it will not last long and I will be back posting and commenting.  Hope you are all well and that life is being kind to you.

 

 

Christening ~ Photo Entry

Hope you enjoy the pictures.  Mike was unable to get a photo of both boys on their chairs but will do that another time.  Daniel wore the same Christening outfit that Nathan wore so that will always hold special memories for Becky.  I love the family shot of Becky, Dean, Nathan and Daniel with the vicar.

Saturday Snippets

Firstly I would like to wish all our American friends a very happy Mother's Day weekend.  We Brits had our Mother's Day back in March.  I have never been able to understand why there is a difference.  We share the same Father's Day but Mother's Day is totally different.

Yesterday we had the boys all day from 9.30 a.m. until 6.30 p.m.  That gave Becky the opportunity to prepare the house for the Christening tomorrow and also to pick up the cake (more of that later).  It was very hot indeed so it was quite tiring but we spent most of the day in the garden.  There were nappies to change, lunch to be attended to, drinks all around.  We did not take any photos. Because it was so hot the boys had the minimum of clothing on and I feel that those such pictures have no place on the internet for obvious reasons.  Such a shame, but you cannot be too careful.

By the time Becky left and we had cleared away all the toys in the garden and house, got our evening meal and watched our "soaps" I was far too tired to come on the computer.  In fact I fell asleep for the rest of the evening. When I turned on this morning nearly 300 pieces of mail!!!! I will manage as many alerts as I can.

Nathan fed the fish again but this time he filled a container and did it just the way Mike does.  At Christmas we bought him a magic mat so we played a lot with that, Nathan and I.  You fill the pens that are supplied with water and then draw on the white mat.  When the drawings dry out they completely disappear and you start again.  I drew around his hands and feet much to his delight and then he attempted to draw around mine.  I wrote numbers for him and his name and we also used the stencils supplied.  I sang to him and we both did the actions to the songs.  Daniel smiled along the whole time until it got to much for him and he feel asleep in the shade.

Neither of the boys wanted toeat much, probably because it was so hot.  Nathan did manage a huge helping of chocolate/strawberry/vanilla ice-cream though. I was sorely tempted but I resisted.  Mike took some video.  When he played it back Nathan was absolutely fascinated, staring at the screen very intently and when I  appeared on it he turned and pointed at me to acknowledge he  knew that the person on the film was me.

Only one thing marred the day.  Mike had wanted to take them to the playground.  He has, so far, only taken Nathan there. He wanted to get pictures of the boys together.  So I smothered them in factor 50 sunscreen, got them dressed and off he set, armed with his camera.

Ready for the playground ~ this shows  how tall Nathan is and he is not yet two.

When he got there, it was disappointment all around.  Nathan got excited when he saw where they were going.  Mike was stopped by a Grandmother with two little tots.  She asked Mike if he was going into the playground (he could see it was already full). When he said he was, she told him that he would not be able to do so then promptly started to cry. 

The place was full of teenagers, about forty of them. They had taken over all the rides (which are for tots only and therefore totally unsuitable for them) they were kicking footballs around, causing havoc.  This poor woman had been subjected to some very unpleasant abuse.  Mike said he would take her in with him.  When they opened the gate and walked in Mike was also greeted with jeers and abuse. Abuse about his age, remarks about him being with young children.  Very nasty.  He decided to withdraw.  He and the woman waited for a while.  The woman rang the police but they were not really interested saying that they would "try" and get somebody down there later on.  The woman pointed out this would be no good because the ones causing the trouble would be gone by then and so would she as she would have to be back for her daughter to pick up the children.  So, none of the tots got their fun at the playground.  Nathan was upset.  I was furious and so was Mike.

We discussed what to do and after Mike had a cup of tea he set off to the council offices to make an official complaint.  They did take it seriously but whether anything will be done I do not know.  They will not spend the money on having a warden there, a warden with powers who could get the police if necessary.  They just seem to keep on paying out our money to  repair the vandalism and we continue to pay high community charge for very little in return.  I also know from his description of the uniform what school they attend and I am going to write to the headmaster.  I simply do not understand young people of today. So many have no manners, so many are foul-mouthed and nasty. So many have no respect for their elders or for younger children. So many have no respect for the police.  I believe that discipline starts in the home, even more so today when schools are no longer allowed to discipline. Many parents do not care what their children are up to as long as they are out of the way.  It is a sad reflection on our society.

Oh dear, this is turning into a book. I think it is time to wind up for today.  Oh yes, I mentioned the  Christening cake earlier. Becky and Dean had it made by a lady who lives not too far away and she has made a wonderful job of it. Becky kindly sent me some photos which I am sharing with you.

The little bear is so delightful with his tongue sticking out.  His fur looks almost real and so does the nappy, looks just like a proper terry one.  We all agree it is going to be a shame to cut.

However, they will keep the flowers and the plastic nappy pin as mementoes. 

The weather is due to change this afternoon so now I am going to take the daily paper into the garden and enjoy a little peace in the sun.

Have a great weekend, dear readers.

 

One Man And His Dogs ~ Photo Entry

These were taken by me yesterday just after Mike had mown the lawn and we were enjoying the wonderful warm weather whilst it lasts.  They speak for themselves, there is nothing so unconditional as the love of a dog/dogs.

Wish we had remembered to take the pond covers off!

Finally, this one suits our Jack.  His coat is sprouting in all directions and he is always up to mischief so rough and ready fits him.  He has not yet learned to be "gentleman Jack".

Oh, the bag was full of grass cuttings, not dog food!

Lunchtime now and then I am off into the garden for a while to enjoy some of the glorious sunshine.

Hope the sun is shining for you  wherever you are, if not in the sky, then certainly in your lives.