Tuesday 2nd February

I didn't even get round to saying 'White Rabbits' at the start of the new month...so I'll say it now.  My close advisor in BG has now given me the latest weather report. Essential kit...wellies, umbrella and ark.  The last I heard was that the animals were going in two by two.

The party for CJ went with a swing as all good parties do.  It was noisy, balloons were the favourite but few survived the onslaught of marauding young teens.  Girls played football along with the boys but I did detect a certain amount of disinterest and there was even a look of 'grow up' when the boys decided that it was more fun to chase a balloon that eat.

The cake was a gorgeous concoction of sugar, chocolate and marshmallows and when they had all received their little bags for going home it was fair game to stand by the cake and remove the mini marshmallows from around the side of the plate.  Photographs will follow when I manage to shrink them down to loading pixels.  

My car is being fixed today so I am told and I'll be returning the wrongly supplied legs when I'm up and running so to speak....enough... I have sorting out to do....

Wednesday 3rd February

Happy Birthday Princess and was it all those years ago that I was rushing over the bridge to Irthlingborough and struggling over the carpark only to nearly give birth walking to find a bed.  It does seem a long time ago!!  Present wrapped, card written and what else is there to do?  To the moon and back sweetie....

My car is back on the road.  I have new springs fitted and reasonable to boot.  Autovets keep me mobile and the car too.  I have to get the wrongly supplied ones back to Worthing so that's my job for tomorrow should I choose to accept but this morning the cold seems to be getting worse by the minute so I might be forced to spend the day in bed thinking about all those jobs that I had lined up for myself.  That's retirement for you...to do or not to do...that is the question.  

Thursday 4th February

Tonight I must raise a glass to my mother...it would have been her birthday today.  And talking about raising glasses we did that last night with Princess on her birthday.  Had a lovely conversation with an old friend and her husband yesterday.  It's marvellous how some friendships go on and on and are reassuring in themselves.  

Now to publish a few pickies.  Saturday saw the arrival of my son and family so we took a trip down to the local hotel, lunched and went to the beach.  They were supposed to be coming down for the birthday bash but change of circumstance meant we had them a day earlier.  Then we have to publish a few of the party so that CJ can show his friends when they go to the after school club.  Princess was continuing with quality control as were the rest of us, grazing carelessly amongst the sandwiches, cheese and onion sausage rolls and the rest of the goodies.

Here you go

Thursday continued

One more picture that I forgot....there was one sparkly candle that just wouldn't go out....even with all the boys blowing....

Sunday 7th February

So eventually got my legs, or rather the Macpherson struts for the Calibra supplied in error back to the garage in Worthing and the credit back on my card.  So now where can I spend it?????

Didn't have a particularly good night.  The cold has now turned into a racking cough that kept me awake most of the night interspersed with Scrapheap Challenge and Countdown and this morning I feel drained.

Richard has made it back to BG from Thailand managing to avoid all that it had to throw at him and my shopping list is now complete for my return.  Tea bags and Landrover magazines for the boys at the garage.  Small recompense for the way that they manage to keep my cars on the road.  I have purchased another ski holdall (the rest are over there full of goodies that I probably could have left here) and tomorrow I pack my bag well in advance of my 18th Feb departure.  Tools from Poundland are a must.  It's not that they're expensive over there it's just finding them.  

Welcome to Sarah G if you do manage to find the blog.  Good luck with AJ and ask him from me if he remembers that he has a Facebook account.  If you now work for him you may have to take over the management of it.   Enjoy....

Now to get ready to settle in to watch the rugby.....

Monday 8th February

Another monday morning....snow covering the car and now it's throwing down sleet.  I was up with the lark at 6.50 although I think the lark has either flown south or is having a lie in each morning.  Haven't heard a peep from him/her.

Today is going to be a day of activity.  Packing to do, ski gear to be rescued from the loft and tools stripped out of their plastic wrappings.  Twenty kilograms is easily loaded into easyJet and with their policy of compliance, difficult to sort out at 5.30 am with a queue behind you.  Catch you later....

Wednesday 10th February

Snow showers, bright sun, howling wind and it's only 11.40 in the morning.  I wonder what the rest of the day holds.  

I've just emerged from an hour long bath reading through a travel brochure and one has just socked me in the eye.  Expensive but a ten day Siberian Express is one of the ones tht I would love to do so it's made its way to the wish list.  This is taken out, viewed and eventually acted upon when the urge get's strongest.  I think it's one that a single traveller can book...you don't have to phone a friend!!

Must get on...clearing out places that haven't been touched for years....part of the cleansing process.

Friday 12th February

This month just keeps ticking on and we are half way throught already.  TJ's birthday tomorrow and mine this coming week.  Another one down and how many to go?  Perhaps it's good that we don't know.  The snow seems to have gone but the wind is cold and coming from the east.  

It was another restless night but I did catch Loose Women and Jeremy Kyle in the early hours.  It was a sort out day when you go through your wardrobe and realise that half of the things in it are no longer useful but you just can't throw them out yet.  How many fleece jackets can a girl own?  It all started when I picked up a book on uncluttering your life.  Didn't realise how cluttered mine was until I read it and yes.....they must have been peeping in the windows or perhaps the window cleaner has been feeding them information.  Well it is a little less cluttered now and there's a bag awaiting delivery to the charity shop.  I think this is where some of it came from in the first place so it's recycling at its optimum.  Let's do some more refining after all, it's too cold to go out.

Saturday 13th February

Good night out last night at the Coach in Rottingdean.  Good food, good company and good prices....ended up in the Black Horse that has undergone some fantastic improvements to the decor.  Caught up with old friends I haven't seen in a while and that's always good to do.

This morning I am off to a teaching session at my local church so let's see how I can improve my mind!!  Notebook at the ready....and lots of sharp pencils.  Here we go...

Sunday 14th February

What a wonderful session at the church yesterday.  Brilliant medium concerned about up and coming platform workers having the right approach to mediumship.  My only regret is that I shall not be around for the next planned session.   They did mention having an extended weekend away in Bulgaria but at the suggestion that they all brought a paintbrush with them, I think the novelty wore off quite quickly.  Great bunch of girls and one brave guy.

Happy New Year of the Tiger to those that follow the Chinese New Year.  I sent out greetings to F and an immediate response returned the thought.  Have a good day...

Off to Princess for lunch today and CJ is off playing rugby.  Last week he scored his first try so does this mean the end to his good looks?  I hope not