Aloe, Aloe, Aloe!

I love this time of year! The days are calm and still, the sky is that pale blue that heralds the start of winter, the mornings are still dark at 7 a.m and twilight starts at 5.45 p.m and it's dark by 6 p.m!! The fire is lit after our late afternoon walk with Alfie, and the soup pot takes its place on top ready for supper. We are ready and waiting for winter now, the garden is holding its breath for the rain that is becoming really necessary! As I write this the sun has gone, the fingers of mist are swirling and creeping between the houses but inside is warm and cosy!

One of the aloes in my garde.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, here I am, another year older and deeper in debt!! Not the debt bit thank goodness, but the year older is true. Yesterday was my birthday and mine began at midnight precisely!! Rob and I watched a movie and finally got to bed on Thursday night at about 11.15. Then we tossed and turned, hips ached and shoulders twinged. The dogs around us were disturbed by something and so we lay trying to get to sleep. I heard Rob's phone beep once or twice but by that time I was drifting off. Suddenly the peace was shattered by Rob serenading me as his mobile clicked over from Thursday to Friday! I think that's my very first midnight serenade! Dare I say I also hope that it's the last!!

The birthday girl! (Pics thanks to Rob)

Although it was really my turn to make the coffee (being an even number day), Rob brought me coffee in bed, and then the phone calls started! I felt like the Queen as I sat in bed chatting to family and friends and replying to text messages from afar. For me, the best part of my birthday is that it is my day alone, I am not sharing it with the whole country, no Valentine's hype, just me, me, me! It becomes an excuse to leave the housework, have a glass of wine with lunch, forget the washing and ironing and leave the leaves piled up on the veranda! (Most of those things are a daily thing with me, but there's no guilt on a birthday!)

Maudlin Monday!

Do you ever get days where you feel a little maudlin? The dictionary definition is as follows; weakly or tearfully sentimental, esp. from drunkeness (French 'Madeleine' referring to pictures of Mary Magdalen weeping)

Now, I am not drunk, and certainly nowhere near being weak and tearful, but yesterday would have been my mum's 100th birthday and we used to tease her about getting a telegram from the Queen. (Does she still send them I wonder?) That got me thinking about my childhood and this morning while I was doing some dusting, (yes), I happened to dust the beautiful glass biscuit barrel that used to stand on the sideboard next to the phone when I was growing up. I used to try and sneak a biscuit (or two) when mum was out of the room, but no matter where she was, she would hear me! I could never get the lid on or off without it making the tiniest tinkle against the side and then I would hear 'I can hear you!' from mum! Even if she was upstairs with the Hoover! Again this morning I tried to lift the lid quietly and again it tinkled and I bet that mum heard me and frowned!

The empty biscuit barrel!

On the Road Again!

We've just returned from a lovely few days away in Gemsquash. I say 'lovely' because it's always great fun to camp, behave like tourists, be lazy, read and generally loll about. However, the campsite was in the middle of the town of Montagu, a beautifully kept, tidy and pet friendly park. The ablution blocks were spotless and the grass was green and lush.

They visited us daily for Alfie's food!

The only other people around were pensioners, like ourselves!

Rob showing a few photos to our neighbours!

So, what was wrong I hear you asking? The noise from the traffic was unbelievable! Remember, we have about twelve cars passing us on a busy day here, so we forget what it is like in town! We were directed to a corner of the park that was next to a road that went up a hill and had a sharp turn at the bottom, so we had brake noise, revving noise, hooting noise, radio noise, general engine noise and the odd shouts of drivers to pedestrians noise! Add dogs barking and you have some idea of what it was like. Apart from that, it was super, and we met some really nice people who all fell in love with Alfie!