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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