I have just been reading about West Ender and her lovely family orientated Christmas.
It felt warm and comforting....I could almost smell the pine needles and the burning logs....and the perfume of the mulled wine was very Christmassy(even thought I don't like the stuff myself, it does conjure up the Christmas feeling).
Personally, I am glad that Christmas is over.
New Year doesn't fill me with joy either.....it has never really floated my boat.

This evening I am not even going to acknowlede it......I shall take myself off to bed with one of my books and read until I drop off to sleep...and hope that the current economic climate makes for fewer fireworks at the Dunk at midnight.

If you and your...

Margaret Pilkington

It's all over, bar the shouting, and I'm still fairly fit and reasonably well. I can't tell you what a relief that is.

I've never been a hypochondriac, in fact I've been too much the other way for my own good. Until my blood pressure started to shoot through the roof I doubt if I saw my GP more than once every 5 years. I've always been the sort to shrug things off and tell myself it's nothing. It used to work, too. Now, of course, I've had to come to terms with the fact that I have a health problem but, being stubborn as I am, I'm damned if it's going to rule my life completely. I was scared about Christmas though, having been ill for the last 2.

Anyway, I was up at 8 on Christmas morning opening presents with Nik...

West Ender

Hidey ho, Neighbors! ITMA!

Today, I decided to go to the Garden of the Groves. I am not a very keen gardener; in fact I once blew up my lawn mower.
To this day, I don’t know how, I was just mowing the lawn and the blade thing jammed and the engine blew up. Strangely enough, I never saw the hideous picture of Adele’s Mom that was hanging in the lounge after that day, either. The more cynical amongst you are probably thinking “Two Birds, One Stone!” I denied it then, and I deny it now!

Any-hoo I went to the tropical garden and met the present owner, a very nice lady called Erica. She is full of vigor and enthusiasm for all of her projects. I have been to a lot of these gardens in the past, the most memorable...

Rick

My aunt Elsie was a lovely person. She never married but she wasn't at all "spinsterish" and she was the nearest thing to a grandma I ever knew. She was my mother's oldest sister, 13 years older than Mum, and had been a substitute mother to her after their own mother, my grandmother, died when Mum was only 14 years old.

Auntie Elsie wasn't, actually, called Elsie at all. Her names were Esther Alice Mary but her father said she looked like his sister, Elsie, so she was known as Elsie from babyhood. As an older woman she was rather plump and cuddly, kind and good-natured but always ready with a sharp word if she felt you had stepped out of line. She was the one you could go to, as others went to their grandmothers, when...

West Ender

So, welcome to Sunday. Last night was very nice. The Pax were disembarked by 23.30, and the Magician and I went out to the bar. We were both determined not to drink alcohol, I am still on track to get back my washboard stomach, (at the moment it looks more like an industrial washing machine, with a top loader!) and he had some friends from home over last Wednesday, and obviously there is a recovery period after such an event! However, our favorite waitress saw us as we walked in and began to pour our normal beverage, so it seemed churlish not to encourage such good customer relations!

Also, a dozen oysters hit the spot for me! Man, they are very slippery. I like oysters, but I have yet to find a pearl. Or her mother. It was...

Rick