Reflective look back to last year..

L/R Ben Matthew Ryan Amy Grace and Hollie

All my little 'Munchkins ' together at the New Year.

My thanks to Sal for helping me to put 'The Secret Garden ' music back here on my Blog.

She is such a great friend and always there to help me out of my 'pickles'.

Thank you Sal

I was sitting here at my kitchen table this morning,, which looks out onto the garden and woodlands when I saw two brilliantly coloured cock pheasants.  They stood out in their burnished  plumage compared to the green of the mosses and grass. I dashed to get my camera and....you've guessed it...the batteries were low.

Another morning perhaps.  The deer are easily seen at the moment and are browsing quite close in search of food.  This winter has been a hellish one for them and yet...they still live.  Amazing!

The photos I have included here are from last year.  It was a busy one for having family,going on outings, so there are more to come for me to place on here as a record.

Some of you might know that both my computers went on the blink. It was only come the New Year when my son Martin, who is a technical manager in computers, was able to sort me out.  He put new innards into my laptop and built me another computer in place of my larger one downstairs in the cellar room.

Having done this he saved all my documents and photos to disc and now I am slowly coming to terms with how to access them all again.

Hence the montage below.

This was when Ryan and Samantha took to doing some kayaking on the lake.

Once my 'old' toes are healed I am hoping to get out and about again.

Bryan bought himself a treadmill as this winter has been bad for getting out and about because of snow.

He has plans for me to use it too....oh heck!

I might just prolong the bandaging of my toes.  hahahaha

I remember the marathons Pam did on hers in training for working at Disneyland.

I hope you enjoy the lake views on the photos and of course notice how all my little 'Munchkins' have grown.  Amy Grace will be two this year.  Tempus Fugit!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Toodle pip for now.

Ryan thinking about jumping into the lake to get him acclimatised prior to Kayaking.  It took his breath away as the lake is only truly warm for about two weeks a year. Samantha took a panic attack it was so cold!

I suppose the thought of falling into water that cold makes them think more carefully whilst meeting offshore winds and the waves from the ferry boats.

We are so lucky to live near all sorts of outdoor pursuits.

Hollie wasn't able to join them as she has yet to learn to swim strongly and loose her fear of the water. 

This is more to Hollie's liking.

At last!....I'm back again....

Well...here I am making an entry at last!  I for one will be pleased to see the previous entry relegated to a lower page. Each time I came in to make an entry I looked at it and my mind went blank.  Now that's not like me at all.  Still...it is easy to get out of the habit of journalling when there are other commitments and happenings

I recently had 'The Munchkins' to stay for a week over half term. My having had to have my two large toenails removed prior to their visit hampered my going out for walks with them. I managed to take them to the pictures twice. Once to see the Princess and the Frog and the other visit was to see Astro Boy.

The sound speakers are deafening in the cinema! I sat bolt upright when it came on..I was hoping to have forty winks on the back row as the children had me up at the crack of dawn and 'on the go' all day keeping them happy, fed and occupied. 

We drew and coloured and Karaokied, baked cakes, cooked meals and read as the time flew by.  Before I knew it I had my sad face on saying cheerio to them.

As for my toes I had to go onto double dozes of Flucloxacillin and penicillin at the same time for my left one as it was tracking up my foot.   It was probably because I didn't keep my feet up for long enough.  I will never learn!  I think I know it all.  lol

They are now on the mend.

Like most of you we have had lots of snow and now rain...thank the Lord for the rain!

We are now lookng out onto green grass and it is wonderful!

Scotland is suffering from severe blizzards as I write and I feel for them as I was kept indoors before and through Christmas for almost three weeks by the snow.  I was so stir crazy!

As for this journal entry I see there is a newer format for making entries so I hope I have managed to place the photos of Bryan and Samantha on their way up Catbells near Keswick here in the English Lakes. I think Guido once mentioned he walked all the way around the lake, Derwentwater, which you can see below them, when he visited there once upon a time.

I wasn't able to walk this high up onto the fells but I was so proud that Bryan, Samantha and 'The Munchkins' did.  They had a brilliant sunny day for it which is what I wish for us all soon!

I guess we are all starved of sunlight and warm zephyrs.

I can't wait to see if the photos I hoped to place on here have actually done so. So for now...stay safe and warm and... HURRY UP SPRING!

HUGS

 Jeanie xx