Can I introduce my friend....a schoolfriend since 5th grade. Friendships are so special and I have a few very close friends that I had to leave behind in Canada when I emigrated to the UK. Meet my friend Barb.

We grew up with usual "girlie" spats, exchanging clothes, getting into mischief together, laughing and crying our fair share, sleepovers. Now we share the events of our lives....grandkids, "weighty" issues, troubles and joys.

It's so good that even when life took me across a big, wide ocean....that connection was never broken. Cheers, Barb!

I have had a lovely couple of days. Yesterday I spent a few hours with the grandchildren and had the absolute joy of having my newest grandson, Nathaniel (7 months) settle and fall asleep while I cuddled him. My memory tells me this is the first time he has ever snuggled down with nana. The remainder of my time was spent "watching" my daughter making a sterling effort to "organize/clear" the mountain of toys which always seems to accumulate in the lounge. Four children (3 boys/1 girl) generate a pile of toys. Just to say......some progress was made....3 strains of the Hallelujah chorus all around :)

Today my hubby and I escaped from our newsagent's business and took a ride to Chester. We did travel through some pretty heavy rainstorms but on arrival in Chester the sun shone :) We had been told there were some very good charity shops to visit (and how we love a good snoop in those places...not that we "need" any more possessions/books etc.). There was a distinct lack of articles we just could not live without...although I did spy in a "regular" furniture shop a most beautiful secretary desk. One minor problem....it was on sale, made from Rosewood in a very plain and appealing design....and was reduced to.......(drum roll please)......just under £600. Needless to say I had to leave it in the shop window in Chester :(.

All in all.....it's been a really nice two days. Hope all who read this blog find something to smile about too.

I've been de-cluttering our spare room today. It's quite a task. You see, I'm a packrat and keep letters, cards, junk mail, leaflets....well most things! BUT today it's been a challenge to shred and throw out so much stuff. I've kept some "special" cards and some letters to check out at another time...but the pile is going down. I am happy!! :) I've made a start and it sure feels like a small victory and there's plenty more to get on with tomorrow.

Now, if I could just relax in a beautiful pool and let all my bones rest for a bit...that would be perfect but alas, work beckons so must dash.

There is something blue in the sky? and something fluffy and white? How great it is to see the day bright and sunny!

I was chopping spring onions recently and it brought my late sister to mind! Not because the onions were strong and caused my eyes to tear-up...nope! I had a little whisper in my mind that kept saying...."those onions need to be cut nice and fine....they are way too big...everything in a salad should be small, but identifiable." The advice to cut spring onions smaller came via my sister....probably about 4 or 5 yrs. ago.

It's nice to remember little things like this. She was a stickler for "doing things properly!" It could be irritating at the time....but now I'm careful about how I chop up my spring onions! Oh the lessons of life! lol

Just a short entry. This is a photo taken in May 2006 when I visited my sister in her new surroundings in Vermillion Court, Princeton, B.C.

It was to be our last visit as she took ill the following December and passed away in the Princeton Hospital in January 2007.

I just wanted to honour her memory here on my blog page. She was a most wonderful sister to me....a real friend...and I sure do miss her. Even the ocean couldn't keep us apart and we shared 7 (to our reckoning) visits with her here in the UK. What happy times these visits were for myself and our family.

I promised I would write in my blog about my sister and what we shared together...and I will do that. It needs some consideration and I am a motormouth so I find it difficult to be brief and to the point!

It's going to be fun bringing my memories to life here on my blog page....so hope you're up for it! I'll be having a go over the next few days....see how dedicated I can be to recording these memories.

RIP Dorna...you were a treasure and you live in my heart forever.

It's been quite a day! Dental appointment this morning for a clean and polish/check-up and to have a crown re-installed...it doesn't appear to be sitting very well and regularly "clocks out".....

Then on to see our daughter and 4 grandkids (her hubby was at work thus avoiding all the noise and hub-bub of young family life....lol).

Do you remember the days when the catalogue arrived at the house?....well it was such a day at their house. The new, just out Argos catalogue. Boy, do kids soon cotton on to browsing the bible...ermm....I mean, catalogue..... Let's just say there will be no problem getting a Christmas list out of the grandkids...they are happy with almost everything in the catalogue!!!!! eeeks!

We all shared a McDonald's lunch, lots of cuddles, a few falls and spats (as kids seem to have) and all in all the two or three hours was quite pleasant actually! :) I guess I'm biased...they are my grandkids after all!

Warm, humid and sunny/overcast here today....no news of any more flooding in the south of the UK, thankfully. Maybe summer will make an appearance after all :)

Off now to make some preparations for dinner....