Off To Bed with Books and Films I Go..........

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Hello there everyone.... Before I hibernate in my bedroom for a time I thought I would drop in and say hi ....yep that’s me at the mo, hobbling around in great pain. My own fault really because I have been doing way too much of late and my body has rebelled big time. I’m not saying I’m walking very slowly but a snail as just passed me.......

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I’ve also been muttering to myself and cussing because the slightest movement hurts. Charlotte’s been a star helping me but between us we still managed to burn my meal last night. The one good thing about this though is I should lose weight as it takes too long to get to the cupboard for nibbles..........

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I‘ve had a chronic back condition since 1991 when I slipped on some water while nursing. Hey presto in a second I had gone from an active person doing nursing, sport, decorating, etc, to not even being able to pull my knickers up (you don’t want to know!!!!). I was medically retired from a job I loved and over the years I have gradually got used to the limitations and live with the pain. But then I get an acute attack like now and then its bed rest for me. I get so frustrated because I’m an independent and active person but this time I have to give in...darn it, there’s so much to do but it’s to bed I have to go to mend this little old back and hip. At least I get the chance to catch up on some films and books........

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At least I’m alive though, unlike those poor men of the St Ives lifeboat John and Sarah Eliza Stych. It was in the early hours of January 23, 1939, that the lifeboat, on loan from Padstow , was launched in mountainous seas to help a stricken steamer. ......

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The St. Ives Lifeboat 'John and Sarah Eliza Stych'

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‘’A mile-and-a-half out from Clodgy Point, a thunderous wave capsized the boat throwing four men into the raging sea.
The remaining crew managed to restart the engine, but its propeller was snagged by a rope and another wave capsized the boat, plunging a fifth into the sea.
As the boat struggled on towards Godrevy, the lifeboat capsized for a third time catapulting two more of the crew to their deaths.....
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The sole survivor, William Freeman, was tossed around in the boat until it finally ran aground on rocks.....

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It was a desperate day for Cornwall and the west Cornwall community in particular. Seven men, all volunteers, lost their lives, leaving seven widows and a host of young children.’’

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(Curtsy of thisiscornwall)

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The Lifeboat being examined after the tragedy

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The dead men were named as:

· Coxswain Thomas Cocking, aged 63
· J B Cocking, aged 29
· John Thomas, aged 42
· Richard Q Stevens, aged 36
· William Barber, aged 40
· Matthew Barber, aged 35
· Edgar Bassett, aged 30.

As you can see by the surnames family members died together. Thomas and J B Cocking were father and son and Richard Q. Stevens was Thomas Cocking's son-in-law. Matthew and William Barber were brothers. Bronze Medals were awarded to William Freeman and posthumously to the men who lost their lives........

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The Burning of the 'John and Sarah Eliza Stych' Lifeboat

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Although this tragic event was overshadowed by WW11 it should not be forgotten. These brave men lost their lives while trying to save others. Widows and children were left behind to mourn their loss and a close-knit community were shattered. I salute these men and the many people who volunteer daily to man the lifeboats around the world.....Thank you.....


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I am off to my bed now. The furry family are fed & cared for and the house is locked up and snug. Andy is at work so he will let the boys out when he comes home. I’m going to watch a film and then read a book if I haven’t fallen asleep....snooze snooze.... Hopefully it won’t be long before I’m up and about again annoying everyone....hehe....Take care until next time....lol......

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Information & Lifeboat pictures curtsy of www.thisiscornwall.co.uk

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Chaos, Mayhem & Wet Windy Weather.....What Fun!

Through Wind and Rain, 1875.

Oil on canvas, by William McTaggart

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Hello from the Hovel in a very wet and windy Cornwall.....yes it’s been pretty rough here today and the West Country has a severe weather warning in place. I went to Penzance today and as the day progress the weather got increasing worst. Although the sea was very rough there was something majestic about it.....The reason for my day out was that after a couple of weeks of mayhem and chaos I treated myself to a very deserving facial, eyebrow wax (ouch!) and eyelash tint. Glad I didn’t get my hair done though because as I left the salon I was nearly blown away. As I left though I met a lovely couple, the lady had just been into the salon, and this couple were in their 80’s and only looked 70!!! We got chatting and the talk came round to family history. His father was an AFS leading fireman in WW2 and on September 17/18 1940 during the Blitz he and eight other firemen were killed while on duty. You hear of such events but hearing a personal account like this makes it more real..........

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"During the Battle of Britain, Sept. 18, 1940 was a costly day for auxiliary fire crews on duty in London's famed Soho district. German raiders pounded the city for 10 consecutive hours with especially lethal results in Soho. Nine members of the Auxiliary Fire Service died"

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Auxiliary Fireman Myer Wand - at Rathbone Place
Auxiliary Fireman Robert George - at Rathbone Place
Leading Auxiliary Fireman George Bowen - at Rathbone Place
Auxiliary Fireman Arthur Batchelor - at Rathbone Place
Auxiliary Fireman Benjamin Mansbridge - at Rathbone Place
Leading Auxiliary Fireman Jack Bathie - at Rathbone Place
Auxiliary Fireman George Abrahart - at Rathbone Place
Auxiliary Fireman Harold Gillard - at Oxford Street
Auxiliary Fireman Donald Mackenzie - at Oxford Street

(Curtsy of http://londonfirejournal.blogspot.com/)

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While waiting for hubby to meet me in Penzance I went wandering about the charity shops (what’s a girl to do!!!). I got some great bargains because many items were reduced in price. I found two great handbags, one only 99 pence, and some lovely scarves and shawls that I will use for the material, again many reduced to 99 pence. Andy phone me while I was there to see where I was (daft question) and I admit I told a little white lie ‘Just paying at the till, won’t be long’....well who should walk through the shop door and catch me still browsing but hubby...that’ll teach me...hehe.......

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I was glad to get home but alas I had to go out again....my friend Charlotte and her parents have gone away for the weekend and I was looking after the cats and guinea pigs!!!!!! Now the animals are no problem but the frogs and toads are....My neighbours have a pond and these darling little amphibians live in their garden and lie in wait for me (honest!) and tonight wasn’t an exception. Armed with a torch I went outside to check the piggies and lo and behold a humongous frog was on duty near the hutch....Now I love all creatures but some I stay clear of and frogs are one of them, it’s the jumping . So about turn and telephone a knight in shining armour, my friend’s hubby David. He was a star and covered the hutch for me and would you believe it that frog started leaping towards me!!!!! So as the old saying goes Look before You Leap, well I look before they leap...lol....

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Korenza on the day she arrived to stay with Nana....

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Well as you all know I had the pleasure of caring for my granddaughter Korenza for 5 days while mummy & daddy went away to Centre Parcs in Wiltshire (they had a great time, Falconry, horse riding etc, and it even snowed). I had a super time with her despite the little sweetheart teething with a cold. She was a darling, lots of fun. But Tuesday of that week was chaotic. The builders returned and on my request began in the room that will be my office/study. The weather was freezing cold and their first job was to remove the old window and prepare for a door. What didn’t help was that my central heating wasn’t working so the gas engineer came only to discover that the pipes had frozen! We don’t get frost very often in Cornwall let alone frozen pipes. Then at 10.30am I had two wardrobes delivered that had to go in the kitchen alone with the rest. If that wasn’t enough the Slimming World organizer wanted to drop of lots of things that we had collected for the local Women’s Refuge. I don’t mind but you should see my place!!!! But I survived the week but because of sleeping in my son’s old bed (Korenza’s cot is in Christopher’s room) due to little one teething my hip has been really bad. I know Charlotte was the ‘night nanny’ but she had college so I did what good nanas do.....It did seem strange without Korenza when she went home but the newly married couple looked well and happy on their return and enjoyed the break.....but I did have her for a couple of hours yesterday.......

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Looking happy despite having a cold & teething.
Being held by me the night before she went home.
Note the ‘sexy’ warm nighty being worn by Nana...hehe...

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Despite the chaos the house is coming on well.... I did have one upsetting episode though. I don’t know if I have mentioned before but besides the touring caravan we have a little 4 berth one in the garden. Initially we bought it so Andy could stay in there while the building work was under way because the dust plays havoc with his chest. But to cut a long story short I let my son’s friend Dan live in it for free has he had nowhere to live and I did it gladly. He had been living in it for some months when after a series of events I had reason to give him notice to leave. I was very fair about it and had known him for 10 years and treated him like another son.....wow was I in for a shock. The day came for him to leave and sadly he became very aggressive and threatening and would not let me enter my caravan, etc, and after he left I found out why. When he moved into the caravan it was clean and fully equipped, lovely little caravan. Oh the mess he left it in, it was filthy and the nearly new quilt and cover I let him use has large rips and holes (I also let him have his dog with him). I’ve had to throw away all the bedding as it was very dirty. Andy had already removed a lot of the mouldy crockery and rubbish before I took some pics, trust me there are worst than this but I didn't want to shock you too much......and the smell!!!! I only hope there are no maggotts luking anywhere.......

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That is my table on the floor, you should have seen what was underneath....Yuk!
The sleeping bag & blanket belongs to Dan’s 2 year old son.......

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Yuk!...Didn’t realize I had a budding Alexander Fleming in my midst....

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Yuk again! ...If it wasn’t for the fact that this was melamine crockery purchased
for the sole use of caravanning I would throw it all away.....

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I’ve got to clean all this...
Gloves, masks and fumigation suit at the ready....help....

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The caravan is a lot worst than what you see here. I also had to remove 5 bag bags of rubbish and the caravan will have to be stripped and fumigated. I thought I knew this person but the good thing to come out of all this is that by totally stripping the caravan I can refurbish it just how I want to. Yes, I am going to make it into a girly caravan, a hideaway. I always wanted to do this but was going to wait until the building work was finished. I want to paint the outside purple and white and make new covers and curtains, paint the inside, etc. It also has an awning which will be great for cool summer evenings.....So you see why I got some material today.....What has also inspired me to do this is seeing the brilliant caravan The Vintage Housewife owns, see her posting for September 30 2008. Plus her friend’s caravans (posting October 6 2008). Do nip over and see them, you’ll be amazed..............

http://thevintagehousewife.blogspot.com/


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Just a little snippet before I leave you in peace....Based in St. Ives is a brilliant youth theatre Kidz R Us that puts on amazing shows. The present one is extra special and you’ll see why:

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“AWARD-winning lyricist Sir Tim Rice enjoyed the amateur world premiere of his first musical performed at the St Ives Theatre this week.
At the curtain call of the gala performance of The Likes of Us, Sir Tim joined the 81-strong cast, orchestra and director of Kids R Us on stage and received a standing ovation from the packed house.
"They were all absolutely terrific," he said. "The show was lively, bouncy and full of energy.
"Grass roots companies like this are the lifeblood of the industry – this is exactly the kind of place where myself and Andrew both started.
The musical, based on the life and work of philanthropist Dr Thomas Barnardo, was the first collaboration between the celebrated team of Sir Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber " .......

(Curtsy of http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/)

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http://www.kidzrus.net/

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That’s all for now folks. I will be busy over the next few days sorting out my many books for my new shelves’....a mammoth task. As I sign off here the wind and rain is lashing against my window panes and it has just started thundering and lightening and the lights are starting to flicker......until next time...lol.....

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“Rain, Rain, Go Away
Come Back another Day”

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On the Twelfth Day of Christmas My True Love Sent to Me....

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

Twelve drummers drumming,

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords a-leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a-milking,

Seven swans a-swimming,

Six geese a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree!
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(or does it refer to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed?)

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On this day in History

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January 5 1643: In the first record of a legal divorce in the American colonies, Anne Clarke of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a divorce from her absent and adulterous husband, Denis Clarke....

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Nellie Tayloe Ross (November 29, 1876 – December 19, 1977)
On January 5, 1925, she became the first woman governor in the history of the United States. As governor of Wyoming she continued her late husband's policies, which called for tax cuts, government assistance for poor farmers, banking reform, and laws protecting children, women workers, and miners. She urged Wyoming to ratify a pending federal amendment prohibiting child labor. Like her husband, she advocated the strengthening of prohibition laws.

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On January 5 1896: German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovers X-rays. The first Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, a German, "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays (or x-rays)....

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Well folks there you have it, the last day of the 12 Days of Christmas...phew!. I will be having a break from blogging until my granddaughter goes home. Christopher and Jane deserve this short break.....First day today, a little tiring but I've loved it. You forget what it's like having a toddler around, I will tell you all about it later. Charlotte is helping me, she's a star. She is sleeping in the same room as Korenza, I'm the day nanny and Charlotte is the night nanny. We have called ourselves The Nutty Nannies, even Korenza laughs at us...hehe....Until next time...lol....

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On the Eleventh Day of Christmas......

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On the eleventh day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

Eleven pipers piping,

Ten lords a-leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a-milking,

Seven swans a-swimming,

Six geese a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.
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(or does it really refer to the eleven faithful apostles?)

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On this Day in History

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On January 4 1643 Sir Isaac Newton was born (4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727) He was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian and one of the most influential men in human history.....

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On January 4 1785 Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm was born (Hanau, January 4, 1785 – September 20, 1863 in Berlin). He is best known as one of the Brothers Grimm, as the editor of Grimm's Fairy Tales.....


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On January 4 1972 Dame Rose Heilbron, DBE, QC, (19 August 1914 - 8 December 2005), was the first woman judge to sit at the Old Bailey......

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That's all for now folks. I'm off into the loft to put away my Christmas decs and tree, it looks so bare......lol.....

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Information for above people curtsy of wikipedia.org and timesonline.co.uk obituaries

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On the Tenth Day of Christmas......

On the tenth day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

Ten lords a-leaping,

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a-milking,

Seven swans a-swimming,

Six geese a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.
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( Or does 10 Lords A-leaping refer to the ten commandments?)

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Also on this day in history

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Lucretia Coffin Mott (January 3, 1793 – November 11, 1880) was an American Quaker minister, abolitionist, social reformer and proponent of women's rights. She is credited as the first American "feminist" in the early 1800s but was, more accurately, the initiator of women's political advocacy.

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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE (pronounced /ˈtɒlkiːn/[1]) (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

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Aretha Franklin 1987 - 'The first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was ‘Lady Soul’: Aretha Franklin. Bill Haley was among the 14 others inducted on this day'

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That's all for now folks....lol.....

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Information for above people curtsy of wikipedia.org

On the Ninth Day of Christmas...Only 3 More to Go

On the ninth day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

Nine ladies dancing,

Eight maids a-milking,

Seven swans a-swimming,

Six geese a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.
(or does this verse refer to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit?)

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I’m back, now there’s a surprise.... not. I know, I’ve never posted so much but having started the 12 Days of Christmas I may as well continue...sorry....and apologies again for this being a long post with many more pics.....

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There was one event I forgot to mention that happened on the wedding day. Thankfully no one was injured. Two of my very good friends David and Kathy and their 5 year old daughter Lauren had a very narrow escape that day. They had left the church to go onto the reception and as they were turning off near a roundabout another car cut across them and to avoid colliding into other cars David swerved and hit the roundabout. They managed to get to the Watermill car park but water was running out of the car and it was damaged. They did manage to stay for most of the reception after their car was towed away by the RAC and apart from being in slight shock, obviously, they were unhurt. The driver of the car never even stopped. And to add to this, the wedding car had been followed by a hearse!!!! This is supposed to be good luck for a married couple!.....

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I also forgot to tell you that at the reception Korenza reached out to me and said ‘Nanny’and promptly snuggled down in my arms. That’s the first time she has done that, so you can imagine how I felt. She again called me Nanny later the same day, makes you feel all warm inside....

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Today Christopher’s friend Parker gave me, on a cd, the photos he had taken of the wedding. Obviously, there are similar ones to mine but I’ve only skipped through them. He also gave me an unexpected cd of the wedding that he managed to record. There are also some photos of Christopher and Jane’s stag/hen night!!!!!

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I chose the slogan for Christopher's placard...hehe...I asked him for a suggestion for Jane’s and he came up with the Closing Down Sale line, he was referring to the Woolworths store closing in St. Ives (and sadly everywhere else) ...

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The first pic below is especially for Holly of Winter at Penniwigs, she asked if she could see more of the dress. Do visit her blog, she does amazing graphics which she kindly lets us all use for free!!!!

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My hubby Andy is on the left and Best Woman Jenny is on the right. It was nice to see that they also had a female vicar....Girl Power.....

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Four true friends together. L to R: Andy, Dobbs, Christopher and Matt

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This is a lovely photograph of the happy couple with their bridesmaids and pageboy

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As I mentioned in my previous post I said goodbye to my dear friend Cheryl yesterday, who got home safe last night I’m glad to say....But before we said Au revoir we all went for lunch at The Watermill, where Alan had left his car from the day before. We had a great time with lots of laughs and the food was good. There are also games and children’s books available, so it’s great for families, etc. I would certainly recommend it....

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Cheryl and Lee. Chez (as she is affectionately known) was looking tired but less ‘stern’ yesterday.

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Alan and Cheryl’s daughter Alana

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The newlyweds with Korenza. Can you see the scowl on her face, the little madam!....

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Yes Korenza had soup for starters and no Jane didn't use a bib for her!!!!

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Gosh, look at all those empty glasses! I can assure you that the contents had been all non-alcoholic....lol...So me being me I went off after the meal for a wander again......

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Another example of the Watermill’s former use....

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More evidence left to nature

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Part of the stream that runs under the bridge that Christopher and Jane stood on....

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Part of the land that belongs to the Watermill. There is more to the left of this area....

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As I glanced about me on this cold damp day I suddenly saw a splash of color. Amongst all this winter foliage a flower still grew...

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It won’t be long now before I’ll be taking down my Christmas tree. I’ve usually taken it down by now but with the wedding I’ve been too busy. But I will have one less bauble to put away this year thanks to one dog and an unknown cat!!!! Remember I said I had unbreakable decs because of my cat Willow, well I forgot about the dogs......I was sitting at my computer sending documents to David’s insurance company (yep, his car is going to cost a bit to repair) when he suddenly said that the dog was eating a bauble! Merlin my border collie obviously didn’t think it was one as it was the shape of a ball.....but obviously polystyrene is not good for them....


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Here you see the bauble hanging prettily on the tree....

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Not so pretty now after Merlin played ‘ball’ with it...

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Don’t be fooled by this submissive pose of Merlin’s, he’s sulking, trust me....

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This is after I said ‘Come on Merlin’... no way, I’d took his ‘ball’ and all the pretty gold braid away from him....

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Don’t you just love them..... And where was he after I came back to the computer, lying on the floor right behind me without a care in the world! One of the cats must have flicked the bauble off the tree (I have my suspicions which one) and Merlin thought ‘Great let’s play ball’...lol.....ha well that’s the joy of having animals....Oh yes, I went to Slimming World tonight and lost 1 lb, can’t believe it after Christmas, the wedding and New Year..... Until next time...lol...

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Thorns may hurt you,

men desert you,

sunlight turn to fog;

but you're never friendless ever,

if you have a dog.

~ Douglas Mallock ~

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On the Eighth Day of Christmas & Happy New Year

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On the eighth day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me

Eight maids a-milking,

Seven swans a-swimming,

Six geese a-laying,

Five golden rings,

Four calling birds,

Three French hens,

Two turtle doves,

And a partridge in a pear tree.

(Or does it refer to the eight beatitudes?)

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Hello and a Happy New Year to you all....I will warn you that this is a long post with lots of pics, naturally....lol....

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Well I survived to tell the tale and a good day was had by all on the last day of 2008. I am now officially a MinL and Step-Nana....Oh it was a busy morning as you can imagine but the dress was finally delivered but they forgot the veil and headdress but soon returned with it. Andy was off busily putting ribbons on the car and without us knowing he went and bought bunches of flowers to put on the back shelf of the car, isn’t he a star. Andy was not only giving Jane away as Jane’s father was not available to do so, he was also driving the bride to the church and the couple to the reception afterwards. Thankfully we had friends to help. Charlotte’s mother got Korenza ready, Charlotte helped Jane and Vikki, an ex-girlfriend of Christopher’s (many years ago but she is like a daughter to me and now a very good friend of Christopher’s) was brilliant helping with everything. Me, well you can imagine. Then the time came to leave. I was going with my good friend Cheryl but typically I was rushing out and my long skirt got tangled in the bramble hanging over our garden wall, which I had been meaning to cut down...hint hint Andy!!!!.........

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Before you knew it we were at the church, St Elwyn’s, and the service began. My first job however was to give my son the small tin that belonged to my father, Christopher wanted to have it with him so it felt like his grandfather was there. I know he was.......

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It was great to see our friends there, especially after some of the wedding preparations did not go as planned for Christopher. Sadly a week or two before the day his appointed best man let my son down for very petty reasons. They had been best buddies for 10 years but Christopher in the end had a Best Woman, his long-term friend Jenny, who also organized his stag do.....As I said to Christopher ‘At the end of your special day look around you and the ones who are there are the ones that matter’ ... obviously, due to the time of year, work commitments, etc, some people could not come but the guests yesterday are true friends.....

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It was a very relaxed and cheerful service. Being New Year’s Eve the Christmas tree was still there and one of the songs was ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’. Naturally I didn’t take many pictures but everyone else did.....The ones below are some of the ones I managed to take, hopefully there will be more 'professional' ones.....

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This one shows the back detail of Jane’s dress, it is beautiful when seen fully but I do not have a photo as yet. The tree is seen in the corner and the beautiful altar in the background. This church has one of the best examples of stained glass windows I have ever seen. I have a booklet about the church somewhere which I will have to find for later.....

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A very good long-standing friend of Christopher’s is Dobbs (Mathew is his given name) who I treat like a second son. He was given the task of giving a reading and Christopher did not know what he had chosen to read. Now Dobbs has a wicked Cornish SOH and we were ‘dreading’ what he would come up with...hehe....but he did not let us down. My son is very proud of his Irish roots and Jane and I had discussed months ago the possibility of someone reading the Irish Wedding Blessing but had forgotten to organize it and yes you’ve guessed it, Dobbs had chosen this very poem. Jane and I just looked at each other and smiled......

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May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

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May God be with you and bless you: May you see your children's children. May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness From this day forward.

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May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home. And may the hand of a friend always be near.

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May green be the grass you walk on, May blue be the skies above you, May pure be the joys that surround you, May true be the hearts that love you.

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I think this is a beautiful photograph I managed to take. Charlotte is seen on the left as a bridesmaid. Next is Vikki who was a witness as was Dobbs. Obviously the couple seated is Christopher and Jane with beautiful Korenza. She looked adorable. The lovely girl with Jane is her niece Chloe who was a bridesmaid. The handsome little pageboy is 2 year old Cody, brother of Chloe. See the ring cushion. Jane made this herself and Cody carried it with the rings down the aisle.......

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I love this one. See how relaxed and happy they look....

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My two very good friends with the happy couple. They recently moved back to Hayle from Wales. Rosie, on the left, and her daughter Gemma on the right. Gemma is holding her beautiful 4 month old daughter Poppy.......

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My ‘family’....Left is Alan, Cheryl’s partner. Christopher is hugging his ‘sister’ Alana or Lallie as I call her (she’s 21 not 22!!!!!). Then comes Alana’s brother Lee next to Jane, I love his new haircut. Then the best friend anyone could have, Cheryl. Now believe me, she doesn’t always look this stern but like me she doesn’t always take good photos......The one below was taken Tuesday night....

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Korenza with Cheryl...

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I really like this one as it is such a natural photograph. I tend to prefer these and leave the formal ones to others.....hehe......

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Christopher and Jane near the main entrance to the Watermill

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I said that the bridge would make a nice setting for a photograph.....

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Very good friends and neighbours who shared this special day. In the background are David and Liz, Charlotte’s parents. The couple seated in the foreground are Stella and Michael, parents of Dobbs....

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Three loyal friends of Christopher who also sang very heartily in church!! Next to Dobbs is Matt and to the right of the photograph is Andy....

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How cute is this. Johan is Vikki’s 2 year old son...Jenny the Best Woman is sat behind him. She was feeling rather tired by now, she is usually full of beans....

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Of course I went wandering off for a break and decided to explore the garden before it became too dark to see. Now I know you guys will appreciate this but as I took the first one my son shouted ‘Mum it’s only a box’.....

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I like it, nestled in the undergrowth....

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Old Weighing Scales. I like to think they belong to the old mill that was once here....

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A nice old rusty milk churn...

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But I did finish the evening off with a lovely pic of Charlotte. Both she and the dress looked beautiful and as you can appreciate, and judging by the earlier outside photos, it was very cold yesterday.....I did joke with her though that she did look as if she was going to start some Irish dancing...lol...

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We left the Watermill at about 10.30pm and went back to my house. Andy was working unfortunately but Christopher, Jane, Cheryl, Alan, Lee, Alana, Charlotte and me celebrated New Year together. Korenza was fast asleep, little sweetheart. As Big Ben chimed we sang......

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And then went across the road as Charlotte’s parents opened the door and cracked open a bottle of bubbly. We stood in the freezing cold drinking the New Year in with fireworks exploding in the background......

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I have lots more to tell but that can wait until tomorrow......the downside of today was that I had to wave goodbye to my friend Cheryl. We had a lovely time together before she went but it is sad seeing her go. I didn’t envy them the 325 mile journey home, we have done it many times....

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But before I go I thought I would continue with the Irish theme and mention that today is the anniversary of the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island....Until next time...lol....

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Annie Moore
"This statue of Annie Moore - the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island - stands on the dock in Cobh. Co. Cork. She looks back towards the home she is leaving while her brothers look out to sea and, beyond the horizon, the New World, three thousand miles away.Annie set off for America from here aboard the S.S. Nevada, on December 20th, 1891. Imagine how excited and nervous she must have been when she and her brothers arrived in New York on January 1, 1892. As the very first of 700 immigrants to disembark from her ship and two other boats that day, she was given a wondrous welcome - and also a $10.00 gold coin!....."

(Curtsey of http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ArticleIndx.html)

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