What do you do when it's raining (pouring!!)?????

Boy oh boy, have we had some heavy rain overnight and this morning! Several customers have reported having a very interrupted sleep last night wondering if their home/pets/sheds would be secure in the morning. The rain has stopped as I write this...but the grey skies of summer's end have arrived.

We are a few days off the beginning of another school year and it is upsetting to hear how many families have had a distressing summer with their kids. A lot of moms are on countdown now for the return to the regularity of school lessons. Many appear not to have done much of anything with their kids during the summer....big YAWN. It makes me sad :( Having a childhood full of adventures, trips to the beach, camping, visits to parks/museums etc. it seems some families can't find the resources/means to do much of this. Just ignore me....feeling for both sides actually....parents and kids who've had an uneventful summer.

Our summer included a celebration of our daughter's marriage and the announcement that grandchild no. 4 is "hatching"....not sure if I've mentioned this in a previoius blog entry! It will make for a happy event in about 5 months' time....firstly there is Christmas/New Year celebrations to experience.

Whatever is filling your days at this time....enjoy the closing days of summer and anticipate the smells and colours of autumn. I love autumn and the falling leaves of every hue of greens/yellows/oranges......and the smell.....divine pleasure! :)

I guess on a rainy day I look forward and get on my laptop....think it's called a LAZY DAY.

I've been slightly preoccupied as it's been a bank holiday weekend here in merry old! And now my 'puter is playing up...very slow, jerky movements and it's very frustrating! Not a happy bunny today!

Wow...did we have some heavy rain, thunder and lightening last evening. At least two customers today have told me their family pets were scrambling for cover and still nervous even today....long after the rain et al has subsided. Poor little critters.

There isn't much to blog about atm. I think I'm as tired as my poor laptop**....so please, if you are reading my blog with any anxious thoughts because I'm not adding daily blogspots (if that's what they are called...remember I'm new to all of this hehe), it's only because I'm having a bit of a breather while I await favoured son in law to have a peek (he's a techi-wiz on puters)....he'll have me on track in no time at all!

.....til next time..... (oh, and isn't autumn just around the corner!.....it's "in the air")

Jacquie

** the laptop has taken to halting/jerky movements despite having the hard drive replaced and all appearing back in order only a couple of months back....so it's back to square one again! :(

I've been AWOL for a day or two...it's Bank Holiday Weekend but being in business we don't know about those! Our staff are off and dh and myself keep things ticking over.

We rewarded ourselves today with a lovely lunch out in Liverpool. We went to an American-style restaurant and had the most delicious New England clam chowder with burgers and coleslaw. It made a nice change....it is ages since we've actually gone out for a meal.

The grandkids have paid us a visit this weekend while mom and dad went out to purchase laminate flooring and paint. Mommy (our dd) is expecting grandchild no. 4 (Jan. '07) and I reckon the nesting instinct has hit!

It's neat to see how the grandkids have such individual interests....did I tell you J is into cars? Well now he's discovered a little grouping of Lilliput Lane cottages I bought at a local thrift shop (some chips, but easily disguised!!). Well he's now in seventh heaven as he's got "scenery" to play with too! Today I went into the dining room and found the cottages all lined up along with a grouping of cars...he must have been disturbed mid-play and didn't get them put away. Bet he had a great time...the evidence tells me that :)

I must get disciplined about adding to this blog regularly....thank you Jane for your kind comments. A regular reader...how exciting is that!! hehe

Jacquie

Isn't this just the most delightful picture? Our little 2 yr. old grandaughter with her fairy costume...fast asleep after a hard session of play.

My previous post was all about my depression and I thought I'd look through my photo files to find this picture....it wants me to say "awww" whenever I look at it.

I have a friend who is worrying atm because she is awaiting diagnosis on a small growth which needs removing....I think this piccie might just make her say "awww" too.....sending you cheery vibes, K.

What is it about little children and babies that can melt our heart? Isn't it just wonderful! I hope this photo give you an "awww" factor too......

The photo of the smiling lady (under this post).....well thats nana! 

And here's the lady herself!
It's nana

I have been mulling about what to blog about today (gave it a miss yesterday) ...you know the "flat" place....or maybe I should call it the "grey" place. Having times of slipping in and out of this horrible thing they call "depression". Getting to the why of it all....well, it's just not easy to pinpoint the "launch" incident/timeframe for it to pop up it's ugly head! Grrrr! I've been slipping into this for about 9 or 10 days now....oh that there would be an easy answer to this. Gets very tiring when it keeps resurrecting itself...a very unwelcome guest in my life!

I am skiving in our shop atm; still quiet as the kids are not back into school as yet. So once the workers have all been in for morning papers, cigs, butties etc. things quieten down 'til the holidayers rise from their beds! Oh for a lie-in...this 5am rising for 7 days every week is a bit of a pain! Ignore me...I think I'm tired....oh and did I mention a tad depressed too!

I hope sunshine thoughts return quickly so I can actually add something to my blog that is nice to read...til then...I'll just add those words so often spoken in my homeland (Canada)....HAVE A NICE DAY NOW!

Til next time.....

I'm wondering.....

Whatever possessed me to begin a blog! It has taken me 35 minutes to actually access this so I could publish another post! I ask you....is there hope for an old lady??? LOL

I've had an upsy-downsy kind of day....just like the weather. I worked a rather long day in our shop due to staff holidays. I worked with our newest member of staff. P and I think a lot alike. This is fun. On the down side I slipped in and out of moments of depression that find me frightenly re-managing my thoughts so I can rise up again. Does that make sense....I wonder???

I also posted on the parenting forum regarding the hotel plunge dad who jumped from his hotel balcony with two of his children....his son died and the dad and daughter survived. The press are saying a combination of alcohol/anti-depressants/marriage difficulties pushed him to the edge....and he carried out the unthinkable. I found most of the other forum posts were very condemning of this dad (rot in jail being a familiar comment). Why, I wonder, do I feel very compassionate towards this man and his family. Why, I wonder, would a "loving dad" carry out this unimaginable act? I'm still wondering.....and I am so sad. On reflection I think this may be the reason for my upsy-downsy day!

Apparently this man has lost 2 brothers to suicide. He still lives and wishes he had died. I wonder....will he live??? I wonder....will he die (he is refusing food/water/pain relief for his injuries) and he wants to die.....I wonder???

I wonder as I wander.......

And another day draws to a close. That will probably be my blog entry for Monday 21st August....except to say.....my best friend who resides in Surrey, B. C., Canada is 58 yrs. old today. She's an old lady too....(and for a little more than the next month.....she's a yr. older than me......LOL)...... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A WONDERFUL FRIEND, Ann. (((hugs)))

It's been a whirlwind of activity here in nana's place! The grandkids have paid us a visit!

They really are lively. J (5.5 yrs.) has two hollow legs at the moment! He can eat for England...and his sister I (2.5 yrs.) runs a close second on the eating front! M (4.5 yrs.) can pack away a bit too! So nana's food cupboards have been re-organized (and food supplies depleted in the process)....and the grandkids have gone home full...and happy :)

How can 3 children completely empty a toybox in 2 minutes flat, have toys scattered across the whole of the living room and still go to nana's drawers and play with the kitchen spoons, the tinned goods from the cupboards and the wooden salad bowls (a much-forgotten/unused Christmas present from pre-children days) that can be upended to be.....boats and musical instruments (think drums!). I should add we began with ONE large main salad bowl and EIGHT small individual salad bowls, along with a wooden fork and spoon for serving. We now have 7 small salad bowls, a much-scratched large salad bowl (which I should add is used for a big boat, holding 1 grandchild as passenger...work that one out!) and 1 spoon. The wooden serving fork has long since been relegated to the rubbish bin having been broken during a rather frisky music-making session....think "drums").

Oh yes....and we had time on nana's laptop (and sitting on nana's chair) viewing pictures of big Canadian trucks and nana and grandpa's wedding in 1971....a time when nana was very much slimmer and grandpa had some hair!! My grandkids enjoy a bit of a cuddle on nana's knee....and I think there will be a day very soon when they will be too old to want this...may that day be long in coming!! Nana loves cuddles :)

Well...that's our Sunday. And....this is a rather long blog entry. I sure hope somebody reads this.....(make a mental note to alert friends/family....carefully selected "friends/family" lol) that I have entered the world of blogging.

In the beginning....


I am new to blogging and feeling very nervous. I don't really "understand" computer jargon so this may be a futile exercise, and a very frustrating one for myself and any who "try" to read this blog!


But I've always tried to go by the advice given to me a long time ago..."nothing ventured...nothing gained."


So...when do I really get down to writing something better than this feeble effort???? hehe ....watch this space!