Casper

 Casper crossed the rainbow bridge on 30th July 2023.

Goodbye wee man, its been a blast. 

Cleaning under the slider on your Tumbler Lids

oh my.... the muck underneath... maybe I should have filmed mine as I did it... lots of mould and dirt under there.... 

greenhouse clean

Spent a couple of days this week moving stuff in the greenhouse to start sweeping and cleaning, lots of snails - pinged them out into the garden and hope the birds get them.

tipped out the shelves so I can wash them with soapy water... this large spider, at least one other a similar size.. and lots of little ones... eeeeeek, again off into the garden with them and hope they make a meal for a bird or two

Looking better, the back half of the green house swept and tidied. so I feel like I've done something useful this week (its only taken me since last April to get myself going ).  I also cut the grass today, a bit strange to be cutting grass in February, it didn't get an end of year cut due to the weather  being so bad, and the weather has been off and on mild so its kept growing !! Glad to have it looking a bit tidier after today.
I'm not sure when any seed planting will take place, I've yet to organise  seed trays and compost. I do have plenty of seeds now though, will make a list of those and make that another post.
I'm back to work on Monday though so , yet again, I'll have little time and be tired out. Hey ho, life.

I'm not a salesperson

to update on ''car overload'' .. https://clairesgarden.blogspot.com/2018/09/car-overload.html

I am still a two car owner. I advertised the larger one and only got two offers to swap it for equally large , expensive to run, other cars.. now if I have to keep a big car at least I know whats been fixed and what hasn't on this one.
the smaller car was advertised and drew a phone call, a text message or an email .. approximately every five minutes for a week. even at 3am..... two people did look at it when I offered to take the car to them... but never called back after ''thinking about it'' and lots of other people engage in furious messaging sessions.. never actually call to talk. arrange to look at it and DONT' TURN UP.

I have removed advert . I'll put it back up later this week and specify to view on Saturday morning only.....

loving watching the ideas for van living.

car overload

 Corsa versus Vectra..... one was purchased while the other was being fixed, and I can only keep one. and I really like them both. both old. both drive really well.. adverts being created for both and the first one to sell will go and the other will stay... 

photos are misbehaving in this post.. I don't know why.

the MOP has been CROPPED

 EEEEEEEEEK

and its done. xx
 my friend is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. just so she doesn't feel alone.. my hair is gone too. I've been raising money with sponsorship and the link to that is in the post below. I'll try to copy it up here.

Crop the Mop

on 10th September I am having my hair cut off... buzzed off, not shaved... to support a friend who has cancer and is being treated with chemotherapy which causes hair loss.
she is being supported by a charity called Breast Cancer Care so I am asking for sponsorship donations for this charity. photos to follow...
this is a link to Just Giving where you can make a donation for which I thank you .

sunny summer

having a great lead horse is so important in training others. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to help me. Quince did not leave the farm environment till she was 9 and then spent two years in a quiet out of town place though she did get used to cars and bikes there. for the last six months she has had to get used to going past houses and people, and all the mad things they do. scaffolding to re -roof, cutting grass and hedges, washing cars, putting up new fences and just as she gets used to that they paint it a different colour. a childrens play park and the children who run screaming to see a horse. .... just beyond the houses we have lovely off road paths to wander, only a few miles but I love it.
on the subject of houses... I am still camping in my daughters spare room. I sorted through some boxes this week that have been packed in a hurry in various places over the years. there was a few surprises in there. I got from six boxes down to four, a bag of stuff for the charity shop and some stuff to sell on ebay. and a few good finds to use, some t-shirts and a waterproof jacket. I need those.
I'm not feeling too great today. I came home from work early last night not feeling well. either sun-stroke , food poisoning or a combination of them both. I left Quince to cool down before getting a feed.. myself? I was rushed into the farmhouse and given a wonderful lunch containing a lot of mayonnaise , eggs, cream , fruit.... I usually don't eat that much during the day particularly before going to work as I have heavy duties to do.
and my work has a policy that if you have been ill you cannot have an extra shift. so I am not allowed to work the shift that was an extra today.. that leaves them short staffed and me short of money.

sunny but cold

the sun is shining on me and Luna the dog so we're snoozing.... the cats have not come back after the screeching over the laptop..
I've a bad cold so I'm slouching on the sofa with dogs and cats for company... and Sam, the cuddliest one, he nudges you just as you drink your coffee...  today he spilled it right over my laptop... oh my.
its taken a lot of drying and 20 minutes of system restore to get it back on... all seems to be working and files are calling up as usual,,, I'm going to leave it on now so that it keeps good and warm and hopefully any residual damp will be heated off. and I will back up files to a store later on too.. just a reminder of how easily things can be lost.
the weather is just winter yuck horrible, snow, that melts into muddy sludge, nice sunshine but freezing temperatures. I'm glad the nights are now showing a noticable difference in lightness.
photograph is of coffee in the bottom of my keepcup that was left in the car.. frozen solid !!

gratefuls for today

 i'm grateful i can continue to afford to keep this little lady, she is such at poppet, bless her

i'm grateful the owner of this lovely young horse is going to let me take part in her education towards learning to be a riding horse. such a sweet horse.

extraordinary feeling of love

unconnected to the video... this happened today, visiting a house for work
I was standing, quietly waiting, I realised I could feel the house was so full of good atmosphere and love.. it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket of love,  I just rested there for five minutes until I had to go, it really was quite extraordinary, so I stood and accepted the love and felt thankful for it.
how awesome.
I know nothing of the people who live there,  I think that they grew up there then inherited the house so will have spent many years in it.
I imaging a happy, happy, loving family for generations.

from book to film

I loved the book, I hope it can get to be made into a movie

and the wheel keeps turning...

on the move again... to be updated!!

there's always light somewhere

 

Bless dear friends, near and far,

 

Today I am grateful for
good friends
a hot bath
a warm place to sleep

I think I'm the monkey in this one...

and things change... the end of an 'era'.. comforting friends who have lost parents.. now starts the comforting of freinds children as your friends start to die off... and I'm not that old.. 48.
my gardening friend Billy died a couple of years ago, his wife Sandra died today.
and it brings me to thinking.. well why would you particularly want to live a long time anyway? I've had lovely times in  my life, lots of good experiences, but I've also enough grief that it just is overwhelming sometimes. and the constant struggle.. usually to do with money , which never eases, even working till I'm exhausted and think I just can't do it any more.
so I wouldn't want to be doing this till I'm 80.
and hope its sudden, no desire to linger...

troubled times

Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.
~ Author Unknown ~

its all a matter of learned perspective

Looking back at things and realising how it started, how it played, how it ended..... I ought to  remember articles like this one and realise whats happening at the time. People are always 'taking a loan' of me. I like to think people are honest and nice, unfortunately I am often dissapointed.

yes its easy enough to see things when you look back.

monday

hmmm. yes. its been that kind of Monday.

poppy volunteer

in amongst the leeks! one of the joys of not being a great weeder is having lovely things like this appear.
the weather can only be described as 'continuing dreich', I cannot even cut the grass and am having to pay somebody to cut it regularly, and I like cutting grass and can't really afford the extra expenditure, thats how bad it is!!