Christmas 21009.

Good Morning Friends,
As I have been browsing all my friends blogs I can see that most of us have had a lovely Christmas and that sure is something to be thankful for. I was especially excited this Christmas morning as Mary and I had been houseound all week due to the local roads being what are regarded as secondary roads not being gritted or salted consequently they were like an ice rink. Now I may be brave..sometimes...but foolhardy I am not so we just stayed put. Thanks to friends and family who braved the icy conditions we were never without the necessities of life. However Christmas morning I woke around 6.30am and peeped out to see NO FROST...well I was so excited I got up at once, If you could have seen me dancing around you would have thought I had lost my marbles altogether....I even rang Mary at 7.30 to tell her to get up !! We had only got to bed around 1am. as we have a tradition in the Wilson household of opening our gifts around midnight and this is year we did'nt get finished until about 12.20am !! It was the first year that Peter our neighbour joined us in this mass present opening....mainly as he wanted to see our faces when we opened his present to us.... He has lived alone for many years and it was actually the first time for a long long time that he saw what is the true meaning of Christmas, ... no, not Mary and I surrounded by lovely colourful gifts,....But Mary and I surrounded by so many loving friends....We had some wonderful gifts, and Peters gift ? We both had a painted portrait of our beloved pets. Mary had Amber and I had Dee. He is wonderful at thinking up all sorts of wonderful surprises and I woudl never ever have thought if that, he sure kept us guessing. They are beautifully painted and after today I will get Dee hung on the wall !! As we were frost free we were able to get up to Church for the early morning service that is always a nice service. After we came home and had another look at some of our presents it was soon time to go to Sarah and John's for Christmas Dinner. This year as well as Mary and I we had Peter with us and also Muriel another neighbour who had been unable to drive up to her Mother for her usual Christmas due to the bad roads. What a wonderful meal we all had. I started with something I had never had that was smoked mussels a bit salty but delicious, this was followed by the usual Turkey, stuffing, roast potato,carrots, brussels, parsnips, swede,cranberry sauce..that is all I can remember !! sure there was more though ! after we had enjoyed that, we all retired to the sitting room whilst Beth(my niece and her husband Max) and John cleared the table and relaid it for the "sweets" This gives time for the first two courses to "go down" before we start again !! we all had some champagne as opened fun presents that Sarah always has for everyone under the tree, then it wae back to the dining room for the next course... Sarah got there first and had the Christmas pudding lit and blazing away merrily....the choice of puds..was the usual Christmas pud, Trifle, and a yummy chocolate tart. I started with a small portion of Christmas pud. which was soon surrounded in ..single cream...the lake, then dusted with sugar..the snow, ...then a few dollops of thick creams brandy and also bransy butter...the islands !! see how daft we all are !! I followed all that by a small slice of the Chocolate tart with a few layers of various thick creams on top !! as someone who really does not "do" puds as a rule I think I did very well..... We did not stay to late as I was afraid that it might freeze again and the damp roads would become skating rinks again. What a lovely family day we had full of love and warmth...How blessed I am to have such a wonderful family. Boxing day found Mary and I over at Maragret and Mitch's...my other sisters home is lovely and so beautifully decorated it is just a delight to be there and enjoy yet another meal. This time we had roast beef and all the trimmings and during the afternoon we played the new Susan Boyle (is that her name ? ) CD that she had as one of her presents from Mitch. It is a great CD and Susan is a great ambassador for anyone who has had a label around there necks for years of being " a slow learner" the politically correct words !! I hope any Mother who has a child with that label will give thought to what can happen if only they believe....
And so here we are the last day of 2009 I just cannot believe we have had 10 years since we had all the celebrations for the Millinnium. what changes we have had in these ten short years.
I will end here with my new year wish for you all.
May each and every day of 2010 be one of contentment, good health and someone to love.
If we have these three things we will be blessed indeed. God Bless you all

NEVER FORGET TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Christmas Love

This comes to wish you all a very very happy Christmas and every blessing in the days ahead.

Hi Friends,
I have been so lax in writing I am almost ashamed...However there has not been a lot happening so not much news. We are having a real cold winter spell with lots of snow mainly in the South East of the country,.... a friend of mine has been cut of in her village for 4 days now.....Thankfully we have not had so much snow until now...Mary has just gone home and reports heavy snow at the moment. I am praying that it will all have gone by Christmas day, so that we can drive safely up to my sisters for Christmas dinner.... I was wondering what I was going to say about Christmas today and just as I was awondering I had the following story from a friend. So I copy it now as my Christmas gift to you all
.

The Truth About Santa Claus
I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!" My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" She snorted... "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor Has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad! Now, put on your coat, and let's go." "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything.. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a Few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my Friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked Kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a Good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy.. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's Helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: “Ridiculous..” Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have The Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95

May you all in the comming days find that you are in Santa Claus's team.
Blessing to you all and all those whom you love.... Sybil xx
REMEMBER
Loving one another....is not just for Christmas

Bath Christmas Market,

Hello Friends, This has been a very wet couple of weeks here in Box and the surrounding area so as Mary and I have not been out very much there has not been a lot to write about, but just in case you have forgotten me thought I had better make an effort to pop in and write a few lines. Thanks to "Ma" I have been able to change the top picture (and even maybe how to include some photographs in between the print!!) The picture is of Bath Abbey in the background with the Christmas Market in the foreground. It was a picture taken by my friend when she went into Bath last week in the evening. This is about the 6th year that Bath has hosted a Christmas fair and what begun with about 25 stalls has now increased to well over 100. They are clustered all around the Abbey courtyards and the surrounding square and narrow streets. They are really quite magical at night when all lit up. Of course Mary and I can't get there at night as there are so many people there and many hazzards for crutches and wheelchair !! However last Tuesday when we awoke it was to the first sharp frost of the year and also SUNSHINE...as soon as we had breakfast we got in the car and drove to Bath and we were lucky to find a place to park the car not to far from where the action was taking place. Although it was very cold we did manage a good look round in all the stalls...again it was difficult getting around with the wheelchair as most had a little step around them so preventing me from getting a really good view of all their goods....maybe it was just as well as there were many tempting things from all over the West Country and beyond...but the prices.....a bit out of my purse strings...however as there were quite a few craft type stalls I did collect some good ideas !! Bythe time we had wandered along I began to freeze ! so we popped into the Bath Pump Rooms for hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows...also a Bath bun with cinnimon butter....yum yum...it is so grand in the pump room sitting there whilst the quartet play lovely music in the background. The room was also decorated with Christmas Garlands and a lovely tree...I will have downloaded some photogrphs taken there for next time to share with you. Once we were suitably warmed up off we went again for a second round and ended up buying between us a lovely wooden advent calander..It was expensive however we decided to buy it between us as it was 1/2 price !! .again photo's will be added if and when !!
Today I had a busy morning as it was our last table top sale of the year at church and like last month my friend Pam and I were selling on the "new goods" stall. We did not to badly making almost £50 towards church funds. everything we had left on our table plus some extra things that were donated from the WI stall..are taken over to Bath as Christmas Gifts for those folks with very little over christmas in an area of Bath the church always tries to help out especially at this time of the year.There was a beautiful Christmas Hamper the best I have ever seen worth about £60 one of our members won the prize and she promptly donated it to the Soutdown Project in Bath...so that will go a long way to help some poor family. ALso another member had a stall with many many soft toys and dolls all that were left over are also going over to Bath. My friend Pam (who lives quite near the area that is in need) will have her car full to the brim tomorrow when it is all loaded up after church for her to take over to Southdown.
Well I am going to stop now as one of my favourite programmes are being repeated and I want to sit and TRY to concentrate on them. They are all stories written by Alan Bennet. Good night Friends....
LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Baseball, thanksgiving, flowers,

Good evening Friends,
I do hope that you are all sitting back tonight having had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. If you have had family and friends visit I hope that they have all enjoyed the hard work you have put into making them welcome and feeding them well....
Isn't it funny how an innocent conversation can lead one in all sorts of directions. My friend Beth over at Nutwood Junction often writes about baseball matches she has or is watching and I have not a clue what she is writing about and so I thought I would ask a few friends over here if they could explain the game to me, with not much luck I can tell you....I looked in google but didn't get far there either untill today when quite out the blue on a website I came across the rules....goody goody I thought then I read, and reread, and reread, and have decided that I should put it on here as I think perhpas I will stop now before I go any futher !!! Sorry Beth !! enjoy the game x


A Simple Explanation of Baseball
This is a game played by two teams, one out the other in. The one that's in, sends players out one at a time, to see if they can get in before they get out. If they get out before they get in, they come in, but it doesn't count. If they get in before they get out it does count. When the ones out get three outs from the ones in before they get in without being out, the team that's out comes in and the team in goes out to get those going in out before they get in without being out. When both teams have been in and out nine times the game is over. The team with the most in without being out before coming in wins unless the ones in are equal. In which case, the last ones in go out to get the ones in out before they get in without being out. The game will end when each team has the same number of ins out but one team has more in without being out before coming in.

Today Mary was out at one of the clubs she belongs to and the theme of the meeting was Flower Arranging and at the end of the meeting the arrangments were given out as raffle prizes...Yes, she won one of them and has brought it down to me, it is very lovely done in a narrow necked carafe with holder on top in the oasis is the arrangment of small yellow daisy like flowers, some lovely bright orange chinese lanterns all filled in with variagated greenery...This being Thursday my sister was also over and had brought me some lovely white carnations so I am sitting here surrounded by lovely flowers....I feel very lucky...
We are still having heavy rain showers and even stronger winds, indeed gales is the better word. I am still hoping to go out and do some shopping if it gets a bit better tomorrow...fingers crossed.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER...

Thanksgiving wishes

So once in every year we throngUpon a day apart,To praise the Lord with feast and song In thankfulness of heart.~Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving

May I take this opportunity to thank everyone who reads my "blog" May God continue to bless you all.
To all my American friends - have a very Happy Thanksgiving Day!

LOve One Another Always.

Rescue, Royalty, last meal,

Recently Sheria one of my favourite bloggers had a reqest to do a "Kreative Blogger" and as I have very little to say tonight I thought I might follow her, and give away a few things that you may or may not know about me.

1... when I was born my Mother was told not to expect me to live very long !! ... I like to suprise people....

2....Most of you may well know that my favourite country is New Zealand, but you may not know that one day in Auckland Mary and I decided to go to the top of Sky Tower (one of the highest towers in the world) It was getting towards evening by the time we got to the top and had stood admiring the views when we decided we had better go down to dinner 5 floors below,....As we approached the elevators we hear a ringing sound..there were quite a few of us milling around looking at one another....YES the elevators had stopped...broken down...capoot...whatever you like to call it we were trapped ! soon afterwards men appeared and said we would all have to walk down !! WALK DOWN..ME...not me..and so there was Mary and I marooned.... All the others had been led down the internal stairs. We had to stand/sit around till we could be rescued...It took some time ,and although the elevator engineers were getting a bit alarmed, I must say we bagan to think it quite funny...my only worry was our dinner date !! we made sure that our dinner booking would be honoured ..it was about 1 and 1/2 hours late

3. The two most famous people that I have ever met were The Queen...that was as I was introduced in a line of many people who had been asked to a reception at Hollyrood House in Edinburgh the home of the Queen when she is in Edinburgh. The other was HRH Princess Diana. She visited my Mother and me in our flat in Bath. She was a delightful person and very interested in everything. She even suggested the best place for a photo shoot for the attending photographer (she perched on the edge of our settee she was so tall and Mum and I so small !!)

4. I was Senior Steward at our church and was partly responsible for seeing through the project of restructuring our church at the cost of aprox £88.000..

5. I once crashed my car and never told my Mother. I told her it had a fault in it...when the engineer brought it back my Mother said to the young man, I hope you have repaired it properly this time....poor thing didn't know what she was talking about ( had I told my Mother about the accident she would have been afraid for me ever to drive again!!)

6. I once helped with Pam my friend, make Christmas dinner for 35 elderly tennants where we worked and I Lived...This was done without a kitchen ! We enrolled the help of various tennants and used their cookers. How we got everything all made and on time ! was a miracle...Can you imagine the two of us dashing between flats between floors with pots of vegetables, roast potato, turkey etc etc..and then serving up in our common room. Thankfully another warden had helped lay the tables whilst we were dashing around..

7. If I had to order my last ever meal.....it would be.. a delicious Steak rare cooked, with all vegetables in season followed by Baked Alaska (with choc ice in the centre)...

8. To enjoy my last meal I would have to be surrounded by my family, extended family and best friends...

So there you are.. As I said earlier it has been a fairly quiet week with me here, The weather has been very very stormy and although not cold it has not been very nice to get out and about. We are hoping that we might get out tomorrow to go and do a bit of shopping.
Good Night......and...
LOVE ONE ANOTHER...

Christmas. choirs, sales,

Hi friends, sorry for the delay in writing. I truly do not know where the days go. It is already almost the middle of November and it is hard to believe that Christmas will be with us in only 6 yes 6 weeks !! I really will have to get my skates on as they say and get myself up a gear.... what about you ? are you all ready !! I have made one effort and that was to make a start on some Christmas cards I was horrified to discover that I had already missed the last posting date for my overseas mail to go by land/sea so now they will all have to go air mail and of course that is much more expensive...As Mary is not very good at writing she gets her secretary..me..to do her cards as well ah well only around 100 more to be done. There are other things that I must get organised as well it will be our Guild Christmas tea when we try to put on a little entertainment guess who is the entertainer !! Then there is the Christmas Carol service..goodness gratious me..do you think anyone would notice if, like the tortoise, I went into hibernation.
This last week has been really very nice if somewhat hectic.. My lovely neighbour Muriel has gone away for a month to Australia we miss her already she comes in every morning for a chat with her corgi dog. We are taking in her mail and I must pop over to check the house perhaps tomorrow...Mary had an exciting thing happen to her last week, she had a new television delivered and the gentleman who delivered it was very kind and managed to put on an extension to her arial so that she can now get a few extra programmes. We are all going "digital" in march so we are having to change our TVs. or buy something called a "didgi Box" so she chose a new TV. she is delighted with it. Last Friday we had a great evening at church when we had the "lifted gospel choir" from Bath Uni. come to give us what turned out to be a wonderful nights singing. I know that in the US there are many many gospel choirs but over here there are not that many. They were all lovely young girls and it is rare that 2 and a 1/2 hours have flown so quickly. We gave them all a standing ovation and have already booked them again for next year. That was the starat of a really great weekend. My friend Pam came out from Bath to spend it with me (her husband had gone with their two sons to France for remembrance weekend) To start both of us had to man a stall at our church table top sale on Saturday morning. We had organised a "new" stall meaning that we only sold things that could be sold/given as new, perhaps for christmas gifts.(even if all the goods had at one time been given as a gift to someone they gladly gave them to us to raise funds) Happy to say that we raised £45, and we will do another table next month of Christmas goodies. If I have time I will try to do a game or two...such as name the doll..but then I will have to buy a doll !! maybe I could find a teddy...I will have to think. The rest of the weekend Pam and I had a great time as Pam had brought her new lap top computer. Pam is fairly new at computing and wanted to know how to do quite a few things and so our weekend developed into a Computer Weekend. and what fun we had. not saying that Mary was very happy watching us fool around !! Sunday morning we didn't have a service at church as it was Remembrance Sunday when the villagers meet at the war memorial at 10.45 when there is a short service. After the service the Methodist welcome everyone back for hot tea/coffee biscuits etc. Pam and I were up at church by 10am to get organised and await the invasion. We have done this for quite a few years now so have got it down to a fairly good system...however when we are invaded by over 100 folks to be served tea/coffee all within about 10mins. it is a bit of a blur. It was the first time Pam had done it and was absolutely astounded at how many people arrive in such numbers. It really is amazing we have another two members in the kitchen who serve the children juice etc. and make a start at the washing up...it is amazing that by 12 noon everyone has gone and we have got everything washed up and put away....not bad just over 1/2 hour this year 115 served..a record number. And so began another week. On a Monday it is always Guild afternoon. This week we had a speaker who came to tell us all about the talking newspaper for the blind..or indeed for anyone not able to read the paper for whatever reason. It was a facinating talk and everyone left having learnt so much.
So there you are that's my last 10 days or so.
There was a lot of much more serious things that I could have and perhops should have written about in this week of remembrance but I have left to it some of my other friends to do just that. Good night, bless you all and remember
LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Halloween

Halloween customs in Scotland in my childhood days !! consist chiefly of children going door to door "guising" dressing up and offering entertainment of various sorts in return for gifts. Mainly apples and some small coins (which I used to buy fireworks for Guy Fawks Night Nov.5th.) We would practice for days before hand whatever we had decided to sing, recite


We children were invariably dressed up as something supernatural or spooky or whatever the "fad" of the year might be !! as I said we had to do some entertainment usually consisting of singing, telling a poem or joke etc. My costume would always be home made and very easy.. we always only went to neighbours doors where we were known, although we were sure and certain that they did not reconise us !!!

We don't 'trick' you if you do not give, as in America. (However, after the showing of ET in the early 80s, the influence of American "trick or treating" seems to have become more prevelant at least in England.) I alwasy caried a hollowed out turnip with candle in it I can still remember the smell of thse turnips with the burning candle inside. I had never heard about Pumpkins.... ever.......

At church we always had a Halloween party often consisted of various games, for instance 'Dooking fur aiples' where we had to bite apples floating in a basin of water, once we had one by the teeth we could retreive and obtain it.

For younger children an easier game was 'Forkin fur aiples', an easier task, where the children stood on a chair and held a fork handle in their teeth, taking aim, they would release it into the basin of apples and water and retreive and keep any apple they so skewered. Another game was 'treacle scones' where children had to eat a scone covered in treacle hanging on a piece of string. This one we all loved...I can just imagine my Mothers face when we went home covered in sticky treacle !!

Today many if not all churches seem to be trying to stop the halloween celebrations...apparently it was supposed to be all about black magic whatever is that I would have been asking ??? Oh for the innocent days of long ago...

So there you are that is my memories of Halloween...



So Long as we LOVE ONE ANOTHER....we will all be safe xxx

change clocks, netbooks,

Hello Friends,
TodayI was thinking about changing our clocks...we did it last weekend and I know my friends in the US do it this week and I wondered if you ever forget to adjust your clock?
How many of you wondered why we have to adjust our clocks forward one hour near the start of spring and backwards one hour in autumn? It’s not because we have to synchronize with any astronomical time or calendar (as it is the case with leap years), it’s simply because someone thought that more daylight would significantly improve many aspects of our lives.

An early goal of summertime was to reduce evening usage of incandescent lighting (formerly a primary use of electricity) by cutting one hour from the early morning, when most of the people were sleeping and adding it to the evening. Because modern electricity uses different patterns, adding daylight to afternoons is considered nowadays to be more beneficial for retailing, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours. Traffic fatalities and crime are supposed to reduce when there is extra afternoon daylight, as well.
Even if saving daylight could be indeed beneficial, it is also sometimes confusing for all of us busy people out there. Did you ever forget to adjust your clock and found yourself running late or getting somewhere one hour ahead of schedule?
Last Sunday one of our older members arrived....and hour early...went home thinking that something was wrong....with everybody else !!!

I have had a busy two weeks, mostly driving friends to various hospital appointments etc. When not doing that Mary and I have had a wonderful time ...eating out...we had friends here for lunch on Tuesday which was lovely, they were actually Mary's friends but had not visited here before. It was a great pleasure to have them. Wednesday we were out for lunch with Sarah, John and another friend we had a nice meal in a lovely pub by the set by the canal unfortunatly the weather was not good enough for a little walk along to admire the many canal boats that are moored along the tow path. Friday we had our hair cut. My niece does Mary our neighbour Muriel and me all on the some morning, afterwards Mary and I did a supermarket shopping which included stopping for yet anoter lunch !! Today we went into Bath quite early so that we could park. Bath like most large towns in very difficult when it comes to parking, but we were quite lucky and managed to find the ideal spot. Before we came home Mary bought me a very early Christmas Present...a new notebook or netbook some people call it. It is really lovely. a bit different in size from my usual laptop but it will be wonderful when we go on holiday as it is so lightwight. I am very lucky.. to have such a friend...
Goodnight friends, never forget to
LOVE ONE ANOTHER....

Hello Friends, I am back again from my travels. I expect it will have been the last away time for this year. My eldest sister Margaret and I went over to Wales for a few days. It was Margaret who chose to go there as it is a particular favourite area of hers. The area we went to is called the Gower Coast and must be one of the least visisted tourist area, a real secret for those of us who know it. To get there involves a drive of aprox. 2 hours along the M4 from Bath to Swansea and then on to smaller and smaller roads until we arrive at a place called Llanmadoc. There we booked into a hotel for our 3 nights. Many many years ago my Mother and I bought a holiday caravan over there and we visited almost every week for about 6 years really whilst I was working, then we sold the caravan to my elsdest sister (when we moved out here from Bath) and in latter years she gave it to my my niece and her children. It was eventually sold about 3 years ago after very very happy times. I think the Gower is mostly unexplored as the lanes are very narrow and the hedges quite high and folks are not keen to drive if every wee while one comes across another car comming in the other direction...one sits there looking at each other wondering who is going to reverse first, to find a passing place. I don't think there are many roads in the US like our lanes..!! When we first went there on holiday there was one small village shop and a PO but they closed some time ago. It was lovely to see a new shop open up and having a chat to the people in it we discovered that it was actually a Village Store..people in the village had all subscribed to buying and opening the new shop and also to volunteer to serve in the shop. They did tea/coffees and had home made cakes..It was great as we sat outside the shop on the village green having our "coffe break" I do wish them every success. We visited the largest town in the area Swansea and had a window shopping time, also visited the famous indoor market which had been there for over 100 years. Not sure if they have them abroad either. It is a very very large building that is divided into fairly small sections and local people rent a table to sell their wares. There are two wonderful fish stalls with the moast amazing looking fish for sale, one or two butchers who had some gorgeous welsh lamb for sale...lots of fresh veg. stalls. One would wonder how they all pay, but I expect that each has it's own following of customers. there are plant stalls, and cake stalls,places to stop and have tea or even lunches. and many cheap clothes stalls, gift stalls, jewlery stalls,pet food stalls,and ones selling graft making things wool, sewing kits etc etc. some selling books new and second hand, and even a bible stall. It really is a fasinating place to visit full of unusual sights and smells. Along the coast from Swansea is an area called Mumbles. We stopped there and had a lovely walk along the sea front again amazed that the weather was warm enough for us to be sitting admiring the commings and goings of many little yachts and the occasion wind surfer.. All in all we had a lovey few days. So there you are a little it of Wales for you to enjoy.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

what do I see...

A friend regularily writes a shortish type of "daybook" most days and suggexted I might do the same so here goes.
Outside my window...It is quite frosty so roofs are all white it is also fairly misty but will soon lift as the sun gets to work.
I am thinking.... What should I pack to go with my sister for a few days away in Wales
I am thankful for....the fact that me wee dog Dee came in beside me this morning in bed around 5am..maybe he was feeling cold in his bed !
I am wearing....Navy trainers and trousers and wine coloured short sleeve jumper (the heating is on!!)
I am watching....Morning News on the TV and the weather which tells me we are going to have it nice today
I am going.....to pack a bag for three days in Wales
I am hoping....that my Sister will be in a happy mood next few days...
A favourite thing....my camera which hopefully will be in action over in Wales.
And so there you are that's me this early morning in the lovely village of Box.

Hello Friends,
I am sorry that I have been missing lately but I seem to have been having a rather busy period. I really will have to try and perhaps add something every day. I feel my life seems to be very repetitive and not really of much interest.. When I see how wonderfully my friends write their blogs I'm afraid I get a bit ashamed of my rather boring news....
I think last time I wrote I was about to go on a visit to Scotland. My sister Sarah, John and I drove up with only one stop for lunch and a couple of fuel stops. We left around 8am and arrived at my friends Graham and Fiona around 4pm not bad for around 350 miles. Thankfully the roads although busy had no hold ups at all which is a bit of a miracle in it's self !! I have known Graham and Fiona for for I suppose around 45 years sinse I started baby sitting for them and the three children. A lifelong friendship developed from that small beginning. The "children" are now of course all grown up the eldest 2 married with children of their own and the youngest not married...we still have hope for her !!..she works as a world ambassador for the Scotish Whisky Industry and is always on the go. I love her dearly unfortunately she was in Japan so we missed seeing her. We spent two nights with Graham and Fiona and we hardly stopped for breath as we caught up on all the news. From there we drove over to Elie a small seaside village in Fife near St. Andrews famous for the golf course and the University of course that Prince William attended. I have two very dear friends there both who are getting on in years. Jane the younger of the two has been very very ill for some time and her older Sister Meme is her main carer so it is good that we are able to go up and relieve Meme even if only for a few days. Meme was able with her nephew to go and visit her brother who lives near Oban on the West Coast of Scotland and also to have a day over on the isle of Mull where she had a house that she has now given over to her nephew, he is having it renovated and she was pleased to be able to see what was happening. On the Saturday afternoon Jane Sarah John and I went into St. Andrews to a very small theatre there called the "Byre" we saw a wonderful amatuer production of "Annie" It was great to be able to take Jane to see this, she was very tired afterwards but was happy to have been out of the house. We left Elie very early on Sunday morning just after 6.15am !! it was a good time to leave as the roads were nice and almost empty for the first few hours. Once again we managed to drive all the way home this time in record speed..
Mary was glad to see me back as was of course Dee.
Sinse we got back we have had some rater sad days as a two of our neighbours have died. Harry was 93 and had been in a nursing home for last 3 years but his dear wife Bridget still lives only three doors from us. His funeral was on Wednesday. Tomorrow we have yet another funeral. Brian a very dear neighbour who has brought our daily paper into us every day and had a wee chat, was diagnosed with cancer only 5 weeks ago. He and Marjory his wife only recently celebrated their 62nd. wedding anniversary. She will miss him so much, but she knows that we are just across the street and she can pop in any time. Can I also ask any who can to say a prayer from another dear friend Angie and her husband Brian, Angie also has cancer and seems to be very poorly. Angie was our minister for about a year two years ago, and today she was supposed to be back with us to help celebrate our chuches 175th.birthday anniversary. She was sadly missed.
Thats about it friends....sorry for the gloom and doom !!

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Appearances, Perfect, Imperfect,

Good morning friends, thank you for popping into read my latest blog !and thank you to those of you who have added a comment. It is always nice to see that whatever you are wrting is being read !!

I was reading lately that the Bible is still the world best selling book - what did surprise me was the claim that it is also the most shoplifted book. It seems odd to think of someone stealing a bible - what do they do when they come to the 10 commandments and read 'You shall not steal'? Do they take it back?
Bookstores say that the most common reason people give if they are caught is that they believe the Bible ought to be free to whoever wants to read it - but those who steal it seldom take the cheap paper-back version, it's usually the leather bound, red-letter, gold leaf edition that goes missing.
The packaging doesn't change the message, each Bible still has only four gospels, but the appearance, the binding, the type-face, the cost, all seem to affect how people look at it. It's just one more illustration of how we have been 'sold' false values. The more 'expensive' the product, the greater its value, and the more we should desire it - after all we are 'worth it' - aren't we?
But its all just packaging..
We know it, but seem helpless to resist it, in every area of life..
As part of their campaign to lure shoppers back, for example, many supermarkets are introducing a 'basics' range. This includes items like fresh fruit and veg which might not LOOK perfect, but which are just as nutritious. Carrots have kinks, marrows are curved, tomatoes have bulges, apples have marked skins.. the taste and the calories are the same as their more 'perfect' cousins. But even when we KNOW that there is no health or financial advantage to buying the more pleasing looking product we insist that if it looks better, it must be better.
But its all just packaging
I was wondering if we see people in the same way? If they look a bit rough, not particularly clean, perhaps dare we say it of a different colour , maybe they have a limb missing or have a blemish on their face, use a wheelchair, It would be a good idea if we were all to remember that everybody is quite unique, special, different and good - regardless of how we are packaged
LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

Agraphobia, Panic Attacks, Bath Visit

I have a friend who now lives here in the village and when I was away in Canada she had a wonderful day in Bath with a young friend....nothing unusual about that I can hear you say....However my friend has suffered from Agrophobia and Panic attacks for many many many years and this outing was a real challenge for her. She wrote such a lovely account that I thought you might like to read it as well, and so asked her if she would mind if I used extracts from her letter to me and she has given me permission to share this with you all. I know that quite a few of us may know people who also have panic attacks and perhaps even suffer from Agrophobia and I hope that by printing this it may in some small way help them.

I did the day in Bath with Justi, can't really express what an achievement that was for me after so many years (with no mention of agoraphobia or panic).
Hello, I am writing this whilst the day is fresh in my mind. It is probably the most amazing thing I have done for decades and decades, taking Justi to Bath and having a long and successful day. I went into Chippenham on the earliest bus I can use my pass, and that one gets held up by the dustbin lorries in Park Lane but it did not matter, as the one we wanted to go back on was behind me. Justi was waiting with her cap on and looking very sweet with tiny plaits. We went down to Bath. I then took her to the Pump Room for coffee and a croissant and there was music on the piano, violin and cello. The chandelier was lovely and the whole atmosphere very impressive. We had a small glass of the warm spring water and looked at the fountain and the King’s bath. Then we went on the city bus tour sitting on the upstairs top front seat with our little headphones plugged in, she to Polish and me to English. After that we went to Hands for lunch which was so slow, but the sun had come out by then, so it was not so bad to rest awhile. We then walked up to the Costume Museum where I had never been before and Justi chose that rather than the Roman Baths as, like any girl she likes clothes. There just is not enough time to do it all. We did several other things like looking around the market, Corridor, and university outfitters which is lovely but really, really expensive, and posing with the various buskers in the Abbey courtyard. I’ll send some photos. We ended up at Sally Lunns for tea and I had a really delicious Sally Lunn tea-cake, actually they serve half they are so big, with cinnamon butter and cream and a pot of tea. Justi had jam and cream. We went down into the kitchen exhibition in the basement and,also saw the layers of excavation exposed from medieval times. The person at the desk asked where we came from and was lovely to Justi saying - Welcome. We would have gone again on the other bus trip as the ticket is valid for 24 hours, but it was too late and the boat wasn’t going either so we wandered through The Podium and sat in there until the bus home.
You can't imagine how happy I am for my friend it is something that she did not know that I had been praying about for such a long time.

We have had another two lovely days here in Box. The sun still shines although it is a bit colder in the early morning and the days are certainly getting shorter. We will soon be changing our clocks and dark nights will be the order of the day....I do not look forward to winter at all....Today was the start of the new Wesley Guild sessions which will be held each week now till April. Although there were a few who were unable to attend we had 14 so I was quite pleased. They were all given their new programme and seemed to be happy with what we have organised for them I hope that perhaps in the weeks to come we may attract more members.
Thats all the news for tonight so don't foget to ....
LOVE ONE ANOTHER..

Photographs, Jane Austen, Bath,

This is a bit of an experiment...I think that you may be able to view all of the photographs that we took whilst we were in and around Toronto. Rather than me trying to put one or two on at a time. You can choose to look at them....or not ...

http://static.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf?rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed843.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fzz353%2Fsybil_05%2Ffeed.rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" />

I think perhaps you will only have to click on the blue area ? please let me know if you do manage to see anything !! Mind you there are some odd pictures amongs them and some that are fairly good. I have not edited them in any way...as yet...


Now that that is over !! I can start again, How has your Saturday been. It has been a glorious day here in Wiltshire with lovely warm sunshine, we are certainly having an Indian Summer, long may it continue.
As you know on a Saturday we always go to Sarah and John's for our coffee, they had a visitor this weekend who is very much into Jane Austen ( I expect most of you know of Jane Austens books ?) anyway she (Jane Austen) stayed in Bath at one time and there is a Jane Austen Ass. etc etc. Once a year they have a Jane Austen Weekend and this weekend was..it...They tried, and I would think succeed, to have more couples dressed in costume than have ever gathered together for a parade from the Pump Rooms through the centre of town and up to the Assembly Rooms. It would have been a lovely thing to have seen but we did not go into Bath in the morning. However Sarah and John took Sheala into town and dropped her off and this afternoon Mary, Sarah, John and I drove into Bath and met up with Sheala in the Pump room for a Jane Austen theme afternoon tea. It was really delightful to be sitting there under the beautiful chandeliers, piano playing in the background, surrounded by many ladies and gentlemen dressed in the finery of the day. I managed to get a couple of photographs but have not downloaded them as yet..you will see them one day I am sure. Whilst we were waiting for tea...there was a HUGE queue and about a 30min wait.. we left John and Sheala in the queue...Sarah Mary and I sat out in the Abbey Church Yard people watching,when there we were entertained by a very good sounding busker and suddenly there were cries of "make way, make way" and comming along were around 8 very very old style bicycles with riders in suitable attire !! no brakes on these old things !! it was such fun though to see them, and all the people jumping out the way !!
Once we returned home it was still pleasant enough for Mary and I to sit out on the deck and enjoy the last of the sunshine, Peter appeared having been at a football match this afternoon and so he stood and had a chat, then another neighbour Rob appeared and joined in the chat so almost an hour passed before we realised it and it was almost time for Mary to go on her merry way back to her own home !! Since then I have been playing about with the photographs ! and I am now going to watch one of my favourite TV programmes called "Casualty" it has just returned for the Autumn/winter season.
So it is good night from me xx

LOVE ONE ANOTHER..

Holidays, Toronto

Hi Friends,
Well Mary and I have returned after our lovely 10 days in and around Toronto. we have had a really lovely break. we were blessed with some wonderful warm..no, not warm...HOT sunshine every day. The hotel we had chosen proved to be a winner and we have seldom had such helpful and friendly staff, not one grumpy face in the place, in fact we had wonderful service from everyone we met. we discovered that our hotel was the biggest in Toronto and it certainly was the busiest!! never a dull moment. We were very lucky to be able to stay one night down at Niagara in the Sheridan Hotel, where we had a room that looked directly over onto the Falls which was every bit as spectacular as everyone had said it would be. It would be hard to say when the falls looked their best, in the clear afternoon, or early morning when the mist hung around, or in the evening when they were lit up in many colours just like a giant curtain.


I can hardly believe it !! I have managed to get a photograph to appear. Thank you Jeanette.
Now that I have done it once hopefully I will be able to do it again.
Once we were back in Toronto we mainly walked and walked..or in my case trundled !! Poor Mary's legs were nearly down to stumps. we had thought there would be accessable transport as most of the public transport here is now wheelchair friendly, however we soon realise that was not to be. The first day we were there we had booked a "HIPPO" tour this was a city tour by a bus type vehicle that could also go on water what fun it was...however we had to get to the starting point and that meant a walk...by then we had not yet got our bearings..so we oredered a taxi to cost $10c the doorman asked if we would like a wheelchair access taxi and I said yes, only to discover that would cost $25c !!!! guess what I said to that, so an ordinary taxi was called and although the wheelchair I accept is very heavy, the taxi driver was quite ok about it. (That is something that would not be allowed in the UK as it would be classed as discrimination to cost more than double the normal costs). The costs of most things we found quite high. There were some lovely parks around and Mary and I did a good deal of sitting around them ! also in center of town was the lovely Nathan Square and people watching was fun there. Many weddings took place in the Civic Hall and it was fun watching them come and go...Another day we took a taxi down to the waterfront and managed to get a cruise round Toronto Islands and also visited a lovely shopping mall down that way and I was delighted to find a museum there that had an exhibition dedicated to Innuit Art. I am most interested in this lovely art so was doubly delighted to be able to see it. Next time I am on I will try to add some more photographs
Mary and I have had a touch of jet lag since we came home I had forgotten about that !!!
So this is just a quickie to say that we are back and say Hi to you all

LOVE ONE ANOTHER>

Happy days, Puppies Pugs,

Good evening friends, This will be a short note as I am going to have an early night. Mary and I will have to be up real early as we are leaving here at 6am. The packing is now finished. I wonder how many people like packing ? I find it quite a challenge as I have to travel as lightly as possible as everything for both Mary and I has to be able to be transported on the wheelchair...as well as me !! I have even got Mary's down to a fine art, she puts so much out we might need a transporter if left to her own packing !!

I had a lovely weekend. friends were down visiting my sister Sarah and we met them on Saturday morning. I had Dee my wee dog with me and they were delighted with him and said that they thought that they would have to have another dag...their last one having died at Easter...however they were very sure that they wanted a "pug" and they were very hard to get... as they explained that I suddenly remembered that in our local paper I had seen an advert for just that pug dogs...when I told them they got so excited. I promised to look for the paper when I got home after Mary and I had been shopping in Chippenham..this I did but by that time they had gone out and didn't return till 3.45 when I called them with the news telephone number etc. Sarah phoned down shortly afterwards to say that they had ..gone...for puppy over to Wales...it took them about 3 hours to go there and collect the wee pup 9 weeks old so were not back to Sarah's utill 10.30pm. Such excitement it caused. I was so pleased for them. I can't say that a Pug would be my choice of a dog but they sure love him...

Now I will close with a wee poem that my Brother in Law has just recently written. It was written about and for Bill who was their very elderly neighbour...I hope that you will all enjoy it ...

A LASTING MEMORY

I was in the back garden for a look at the sky
When a movement next door, upstairs, caught my eye.
The back bedroom curtain was moving about
I thought “Something is in there, I’ll give Bill a shout”
So I went to tell him and loudly I told
“I will go and investigate” – him being old.

As I entered the room, was it feathered or furred?
But there in the window, as I’d hoped, t’was a bird.
It must have come into the eaves in the gloom
Down the loft hatchway and into the room.
So gently I caught this dark bird, What a thrill!
Then carefully downstairs, to show it to Bill.

“You are honoured” he said “For that bird never lands
and now you are holding a swift in your hands”
Then I took it outside and said a goodbye
And it went like an arrow up into the sky.

John Mitchell. August 2009

It is a timely reminder that Autumn is fast approaching as the swifts have now gone to warmer places. The leaves on the trees are turning brown and by the time Mary and I return on the 15th. I have no doubt many lovely colours will be showing.

Until we return. Look after yourselves and always remeber to.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Balloons, Exams,

Tonight I start with a photographs above of a HUGE red hot air balloon belonging to "Virgin" Where I live here in Box is n the flight path of some of the most beautiful hot air balloons and it is always lovely to see them float past, morning and evening weather and wind permitting . However on Wednesday evening I watched the Virgin balloon float over and it was a bit low a few mins. later I had an excited phone call from my sister Sarah...who also lives in the village but much higher up..I am down in the valley...It was to say that the Virigin balloon had just flown past her window very very low and almost hit her deck it then regained a bit of height tried to get over the garden and the one opposite which with great difficulty it did, only to begin to loose height again and try to land in a small hollow. my Brother in Law John said there was not enough space there...so it was with baited breath they watched to see if it could regain height once more...I am glad to say that it did...but it sure caused some excitement. I have other photographs of the flight however I have tried to put them on in sequence but they will insist on all going to the top of the "blog" can anyone tell me how to get pictures to come in the middle of the print ?

It has been an exciting week for a lot of youngsters in the UK as the results of their exams came through. I had a Great Niece and Great Nephew sitting there GCSE's an exam they sit between 16/17 before going on to 6th form and perhaps Uni. There were a lot of anxious faces on Thurs. I am happy to say that Samantha had 3 B's and 3C's and and D...As she has missed a lot of schooling so we were all thrilled to see her do so well. Samantha is a bad diabetic and is also has a celiac diet to follow. Alex my Great Nephew is an extremely clever lad and got 4 A+ and 4A's and an E... so they will both go on to 6th form and on to whatever they hope to do.

Today Mary, our neighbour Muriel and me went to my Niece Barbara's to have our hair cut so we look a bit better tonight, between VERY heavy rain showers we managed to drive to the travel agents to collect our air tickets etc. so now we really believe that this time next week we will hopefully have landed in Toronto.

Wishing you all a lovey weekend.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Severn Bore

Sorry Friends, I had written a fairly long "blog" tried to save it whilst I added something and whoosh it vanished !! I have no idea how to get it back so I have to re-write it again...might not be so long this time as the day is starting fast and Mary will soon be over and I will get the breakfast done !!
What I was going to tell you about was this last weekend we have been watching on Tv and all the local newpapers news about the "Severn Bore" . My two great Nephews love nothing better than surfing and surfing the bore comes high on their list. This year for the fist time my Sister Maragret went to watch them, although it was an early morning start for her...she is not a morning person and any activity before 10am is early for her !! Anyway Barbara my niece picked her up at 7.45am and they drove to a good vantage point. Margaret had not realised just how popular this is and was amazed at how many people were about, many many surfers made it difficult to actualy pinpoint Simon and Christopher...but she did say she saw them !! she said the noise was quite startling...that combined with loads of microlites about and even a Helicopter...this doing the filming for the TV programmes.. I don't suppose many people know what the "bore" is really like so I will include a bit about it now..


-->"When the boar comes, the stream does not swell by degrees, as at other times, but rolls in with a head...foaming and roaring as though it were enraged by the opposition which it encounter" - Thomas Harrel 1824

The Severn Bore is one of Britain's few truly spectacular natural phenomena. It is a large surge wave that can be seen in the estuary of the River Severn, where the tidal range is the 2nd highest in the world, being as much as 50 feet (approx. 15.4m).
As many as 60 bores occur throughout the world where the river estuary is the right shape and the tidal conditions are such that the wave is able to form. The Severn Bore is one of the biggest in the world but bores also occur on the Seine and Gironde in France, on the Indus, Hooghly and Brahmaputra in India, on the Amazon in Brazil, on the Petitcodiac, New Brunswick, and also the Knik Arm bore at the head of Cook Inlet, Alaska. By far the biggest bore in the World is the Ch'ient'ang'kian (Hang-chou-fe) in China. At spring tides the wave attains a height of up to 25 ft (7.5 m) and a speed of 13-15 knots (24-27 km/h). It is heard advancing at a range of 14 miles (22 km).
The shape of the Severn estuary is such that the water is funnelled into an increasingly narrow channel as the tide rises, thus forming the large wave. The river's course takes it past Avonmouth where it is approximately 5 miles wide, then past Chepstow and Aust, then Lydney and Sharpness where it is approximately 1 mile wide, and soon the river is down to a width of a few hundred yards. By the time the river reaches Minsterworth it is less than a hundred yards across, maintaining this width all the way to Gloucester.
As well as the width of the river decreasing rapidly, then so does the depth of the river also change rapidly, thereby forming a funnel shape. Therefore as the incoming tide travels up the estuary, it is routed into an ever decreasing channel. Consequently the surge wave or bore is formed.

I personally think they are all a bit mad, as it looks very dangerous to me as well as the surfers there are a lot if small boats canoes etc all trying to ride the surf...Also it looks a bit muddy to me. so I don't think you will ever see photo's of me "surfing" LOL

We are still enjoying some lovely warm weather and today we are going to take an old friend out for lunch, it is her 90th. birthday when we are in Canada so we will not be able to go to her birthday party so this will be our present to her...thankfully it is dry and sunny...
Must go here comes Mary x

LOVE ONE ANOTHER xx

summer days

Hi Friends, I wonder if anyone else thinks that the days and months of this year are flying past even faster than normal. I can hardly believe that half the year is over already. Our summer seems to have been so short....I am still hanging on for a late one to come !!... even the nights are drawing in and I find myself putting the lights on by 9pm...

However quickly the weeks pass sometimes the days can appear quite long...is there an explanation....

We have had a really nice week. On Monday my friend Pam comes over from Bath. (we worked together when I came to Bath and made an instant friendship) there is seldom a week that we have not met up. On Monday she was telling me all about her new computer and feeling real proud of herself as she has managed to get "on the net and surf"!! she and her husband are having a few days away up north, they went yesterday on a coach trip, and she was so pleased to have been able to look up where they are staying even saw the bedrooms of the hotel !!! and the things they will see, it is so good to see her enjoy her computer. while Pam was here another friend came for a visit, Hilda has a cousin who lives near Toronto where Mary and I will be going in two weeks and Hilda's cousin wants to meet up with us which will be nice she was giving us her phone number. Tuesday found Mary and I on our way to Bath by 8.50am, although my appointment at the opticians was not until 10am. I had to get in early to get a parking spot. I had been putting off going for my eye test as I didn't want to buy new glasses and thought that I might have to, however I am happy to report that there is no significant change so new glasses not needed..yipee..After we had that done we had a wee wander round the shops, we didn't actually buy anything but was nice just to browse, we finished up by collecting Mary's shoes that were ready and leaving yet another pair for repair.. Wednesday I spent time in a bank ! Pam was our treasurer of the Wesley Guild and has given up and so a new Treasurer was needed. Sheila kindly stepped in but it meant that we had to have a new account as Sheila wants it closer to her home. what a palaver it was, I have never ever had to many forms to be filled in and questions asked we were in the Bank for over an hour...We were glad when it was all over...well at least we hope it is over, the girl who we were dealing with did not seem all that sure she had got everything but could see that our patience was wearing a bit thin !!! Wednesday happened to be the best day of the week for us it was wall to wall sunshine and almost too warm...at least it was to warm for us to sit outside on the deck...but no complaints !! Today as usual on a Thursday my eldest sister Margaret and her husband Mitch came over for their visit (as Mitch still can't drive since his stroke 4 weeks ago) I went to Bath to collect them the traffic was really bad and the 10min... journey took about 20 mins....It wasn't so bad coming out of Bath just going in. Margaret was feeling better today and wanted to do all the dusting etc....who am I to refuse such an offer !!............and so there we are almost another week gone...Sorry there has not been something more exciting to write about....

Maybe I should put my thinking cap on and tell you an exciting thing that has happened on one of our holidays..then.,I will put on a photograph... white water rafting in Canada and I can't even swim !! How about that !!!

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Health Service,

I was not going to make an entry tonight. I do not and don't want to become political, but I have been hearing on every news programme today that one of out MEP's...note Member of the European Parliament a certain Mr. Hannan has been on Fox News saying that he would "not wish our National Health Service on anyone".. He has been condemned by our leaders both left and right.....(I think that Hannan is our answer to Sarah Palin!!) I have been brought up almost entirely within the NHS and in all these many years I have never had anything but admiration for it. Naturally there are and always will be complaints...nobody is perfect...The cost are high and spiralling almost out of control, however this is partly due to costs of medicines and new treatments. It may well be that in the future some of the NHS costs will have to be paid for but I truly believe that always but always we will have free and complete attention when we need it.

I have very little knowledge of the US system of having Ins. etc.( I can only say from one experience I did have was when a relative of mine was in a hospital in the US, in the bed next to him was a young man with a very serious life threatening heart condition. whilst we were there the Dr. came and said his Insurance would no longer pay for treatment so he would have to leave the hospital as soon as possible. I have never forgotten the look of despair on his face and that of his wife and small children...It was a death sentence for that young man...

I read a comment in one of our papers today that I think sums up what I can't:

"I'm an American living and working here in the UK. Anyone complaining about the NHS like this imbecile, should really go to the US and experience my life and lives of my friends.I grew up in fear of being injured and throwing my family into poverty. As a small child I was aware of what my just getting stitches did to the family's budget. A good friend of mine grew up in a terrible neighbourhood and went to a substandard school because his father was in a car accident and they lost everything to medical bills. I was in a serious car accident in 1996. It was a hit and run and my back was almost constantly in spasm. I had to work a strenuous job for 6 months to qualify for the health plan so that I could see a doctor for a referral to a neurologist. Even when I had healthcare, it wasn't free.Consider this when you complain about the NHS. In my opinion, it is glorious. The most I ever wait for an appointment with my GP is a day. If it's urgent I just go to the hospital or the after-hours surgery. I happily relinquish the taxes from my paycheck to fund this amazing service. I wish so strongly that my friends and family in the US could have a service like the NHS.I'm absolutely livid hearing this man talk about the NHS.

So Please when your delegates do have to vote on Pesident Obama's proposal make sure that they are voting for a fair system for all especially those with the least. Sure it will cost but what price can one make on a persons life...as I always finish with the words

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Sunny Days

Good evening friends, This will just be a short note as there is not much news and I am actually just trying once more to get somthing on my side bar...ie a photograph or something !! but despite following instructions...thank you friends as you can see it is still landing within the text....never mind I will sort it our one day !!! maybe...

Yesterday morning found me on my way to hospital in Bristol..no panic...it was to the limb fitting department. It has been about three years sinse I was there and my leg needed a bit of ...refurbishment....as it was looking a bit tatty !! not many folks can go in and have a refurbished leg !!
I had also taken my spare one with me as it has never fitted properly and they would not have it that they had made a mistake...this time I took a shoe with me to prove that the foot was the wrong size ...at last they agreed and have now hopefully put the correct size on the bottom of the leg !! They will send it out to me when they have finished it all....fingers crossed. In the afternoon Mary and I did some grocery shopping and that was about all we did. Today Mary was out in the morning to a coffee morning held at the church every week. This is organised by a local organisation called LINK. One day I will go in to detail about what LINK does as it might be an idea that you could take up in your area...This afternoon has been visitors time. First Cait arrived with tales of her stay at her daughters looking after the house rabbit, then Peter came along, back home early from work, the company he works for is having the workmen go computerised so he has had a two day "teach in" just as Cait was leaving, our neighbour Muriel arrived with some damson that Cait quickly said she could use...after Cait went Muriel came back with a bottle of wine for us to share...she does this fairly often of an afternoon after she has taken her dog out for a walk..so Peter Mary and Muriel and I are all feeling very happy.

I hope that you have all had a good day. The sun has shone all day again and it has been lovely and warm today, change from yesterday when it was very damp and drizzly...

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

What a glorious day we have had, the sun has been shining from early morning and only now is beginning die down. Mary and I went over to Bath today to have lunch with my sister Margaret and husband Mitch. Mitch had a very slight stroke two weeks ago and can't drive for at least another month so we went over to see if anything was needed..it wasn't...So we just enjoyed lunch. It was a chance to try and take some photographs of butterflies of which there seems to have been an abundance this year especially in Margarets and Mitch's garden....or so they tell me !!! There were quite a few about today so I will (try) to share at least one taken in the garden. Well the picture has arived, but not where I thought it would be !!

Help ? can anyone tell me how it could have arrived HERE..not at top ? also I know some photographs can appear in the side bar...HOW ?

I think I am slowly getting to grips with blogger it is a bit different and I don't think..so far..that it is as "cosy" as AOL was but I have found how to get a bit of colour in.....so there is hope for me yet.

Goodnight Gid Bless and never forget to

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Thank You.

What a wonderful surprise when I logged on this morning to see so many wonderful friends back with me. I don't know what I expected ..I should have known you would all still be around Thank you friends.

This has been a fairly quiet weekend. On Saturday as always we start our day by going up to Sarah's for our coffee. It is an amazing thing when I realise how long we have done this, meeting up on a Saturday morning...It all started when we first moved down to Bath 26 years ago. At that time Sarah lived in Bath (as Mum and I did) and she always met friends in a certain cafe every Sat. for coffee and so naturally we joined in....(.actually it had been going on for many years before that as we used to join in when ever we came down on holiday....sometimes there might have been 10 or more of us and in the "old" days children as well....now all mostly married !!) Now that we both live in Box we meet up at her house, and as everyone all the "young" friends are now getting more advanced !! in age, it has gradually reduced and now there is just us !!! nevertheless Saturday would not be Saturday without our visit.
It was such a lovey day that after being up to with Sarah we didn't go anywhere else. Peter our neighbour came along and in the afternoon cut my grass and also Mary's and we had a long natter, mostly about his holiday he has just booked to go to India next March to see the tigers...lets hope when he does see them they don't take a liking to him !!!
Sunday is I think my favourite day of the week. I go up to church, the local Methodist church and meet up with all my friends, I usually end up giving out the notices and hymn books so manage to get lots of hugs..and of course give lots of hugs !! (Sunday is the one day that I don't see quite so much of Mary as she goes to another church quite a way away and she gets someone to give her a lift to get there, and she is not back till later than me, so she has to get herself lunch, I usually see that there is a meal for her in the freezer that she just has to pop into the micro,) After church I go to Sarahs for a delicious Sunday dinner. Sarah is not quite so able now but she has taught John well and he produce the most wonderful food. It is difficult to say what is my Fav. as each week I seem to change my mind to whatever is set before me!! yesterday it was a lovely roast ham with new potato,cabbage,carrots,leeks,and parsnips. To follow as always my very fav. rice pudding, and they also have an alternative as well yesterday was a huge sponge filled with cream and rasperies. after lunch we always have a wee nap before I return back down the hill home. and as it was another glorious day I ended up sitting out on the deck reading a geat book. Mary and I had been invited to a friends,little girls birthday party Erin was 2 yesterday, however when we got there I could not find a parking place near enough for me so I just dropped Mary of and she went herself...I was not all that bothered as Parties and me don't really mix. I have a real horror of going into a room full of people I don't know. I am ok. if I get there first and can just sit and observe the coming and going.. Is anyone else like that ?
So now we are it is Monday and the start of another week. I wonder what it will hold for us all..It's quite an exciting thought really. I know that as it is Monday my best friend Pam will be over....Pam and I worked together when I was in Bath..It is always a good day as we never stop chatting. Mary will pop up to the Post Office to collect our pensions, and then to the butchers for ham for our lunchtime sandwhiches..then today all the way along to the Chemist for my prescription. Good old Mary !!
Well thats it for today. Thank you all again for all your friendships...

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

New beginings and First Ramblings

Hello Friends,
I once wrote a blog however around a year ago my bogger friends and I were switched of by AOL and although some were brave enough to start again I never did, until now that is. I do not like to be defeated so I felt the time had come when I too should start again. Previous friends who I hope may come by and visit me again will know quite a bit about me so hope they do not get bored if I repeat some things.
Perhaps I should introduce myself more fully . I love in a delightful small village in Wiltshire England. As I write this I can see out of my window a game of cricket taking place on the village recreation park a really delightful scene especially as the sun has been shining all day and as we have had a lot of rain the grass is a beautiful shade of green. The large Chestnut trees are heavy with the nuts and it will not be to long before the boys begin to throw sticks into them to try to dislodge the nuts before they cam begin to play the game we call “conkers “. As well as the cricket players I can see quite a few children playing some on their bicycles and others just enjoying the freedom that a sunny evening can bring.High up in one of the trees I can see a lovely kite that I remember seeing someone fly the other day, obviously it flew in there and they could not get it down...what a shame as it was such a lovely colourful kite. AS well as loving the view from my window, it could almost be called a hobby...gazing out on the rec. !! How fortunate I am to live in such a lovely spot. I came here some 16 years ago after staying in the nearest city Bath fro 10 years. My Mother and I moved down to Bath from my home village near Edinburgh in Scotland. I have two sisters who at that time stayed in Bath and we moved to be nearer them. Mum unfortunately lived only a year after we moved and then for the first time I was left living on my own. I am lucky that we are a close family and my sisters Margaret and Sarah live nearby Margaret in Bath with her husband Mitch and Sarah has now moved to the village with her husband John. We see each other very often and speak every day at least once if not more....Next door to me lives my best friend of over 40 years Mary. You will here Mary mentioned very often as where I am Mary is sure to be as well.. My very fav ourite hobby must be traveling and I have been fortunate enough to have traveled widely throughout the world with Mary by my side. Although we are in the eyes of some people “disabled” it is not a word I think of myself. I travel with my trusty electric wheelchair and Mary has her two elbow crutches but it never deters us from doing what we want. I drive a nice little Renault Kangoo which has a drop down ramp and I can jusy wheel my chair in the back and away we go whenever the feeling takes us. Yesterday for instance we went to Longleat Estate the home of Lord Bath. He opened a Safari Pak there many many years ago and as we had a friend down visiting a couple of weeks ago and took her to see the animals we could still use our ticket to visit the gardens at any time. More about these vists pehaps soon.. And I am sure to write about various holidyas we have taken and will be taking I am sure.
Till next time always remember to
LOVE ONE ANOTHER