Let the games begin!

The 2012 Olympics are about to start... all around the world people are poised to support their countries...
and I got to thinking about them all!  People happy, people ill or sad, people being harmed in some way by strangers or family...  People alone, people making love...

Heavy thinking for such a night, I suppose one I will always remember, as not around for the last one, and may not see another... as in the UK might not 'win' another chance to host them I mean!!

Okay amigos, here we go....


TTFN
Marian
 

After a long day this morning, if you see what I mean, came home, slept, ate and continued the long day this evening too!  Went down to The Quays, a new development in our village, which leads you down the estuary and to the sea... it took a while to get to the beach, and the tide was just starting to come in, we had seen the river starting to fill on the way down, litterally!  It was like a mini tsunami as the water flowed in and up....

As we stood the water just poured in over the beach and the ripply sand from this mornings tide, the sand looked like it was covered in something from a distance but was just the shade...

Pippa above keeping a look out at some other dogs further up the beach!

We let her off the lead and she ran about like a whippet!  She is now sleeping!

A water spout thing above, not sure what it was, or where it was coming from, but up came the water any how!!  met a man just up by here, chatted about Spain, and for a while we were back speaking Spanish!  Bizarrely.

This is a lovely conservation area, and there is a massive car park, i.e. lay by for five cars!!!!

Ice cream on way back, now exhausted and smelling of sea salt...

TTFN
Marian

Some extremely random photos today amigos!  Above the three that came down, not looking quite so huge now!  It was more the length than the girth that made it so big!  Unusual ring pattern though don't you think?  The color difference is really odd, something must have happened to it when it was a young sapling?

Who knows, its gone now sadly, trees trying to walk just cannot be allowed to happen!

This is a beautiful little 'Forget Me Not' flower, just peeping out from a piece of slate on the steps up to the patio level area a third of the way up the garden!!  Forget Me Not....

And above, in the muffin tins, something I saw on a web site the other week, and at last had a go of making, they look good, and you know, they actually taste very good too!  I made a bit of a rooky error though, I haven't got any of those stone bead things you put on pastry to stop it expanding when you blind bake, so put in some rice, which I saw someone do the other day, a chef, obviously not noticing the paper that was put between the pastry AND the rice!  So, these had a little secret layer of rice, where there shouldn't have been, most of it came out... and I suppose if I hadn't owned up to it, Franco would have been none the wiser!

This morning, I went to town!!!  I feel like I need to get to a meeting of AA, or something similar, as no alcohol is involved of course! But some meeting where I can stand and say "my name is Marian, and I went out alone today!"  then, round of applause, and the meeting rests....

I have been out, to walk Pip of course, most mornings, although a few times less the last few weeks, just too tired... anyway, I digress... I have only driven twice since I came back in February!  Once to see a prospective job location, and another time to come back from dropping Franco off at the station!

This morning I had a great chat with a mate on the phone, got in the car and drove to town!  Parked and had a wonder around the shops, here and there, went into M&S and spent about £150, well in my mind!  Got some groceries from supermarket and drove off, didn't go home, instead I drove to another out of town supermarket!!!  Same brand, just different place, got a few more things!

I just feel so strange still, not knowing anyone when I walk around town, no familiar faces, I feel so, so, oh I don't know...

So, there is a Butterfly count going on at the moment here in the UK, was thinking this morning how I have only seen one butterfly in the garden, and that was back in Marc, and sitting in the sun this afternoon, I saw a Cabbage White!  And then another one, or maybe the same one?  I think it was drawn to the butterfly's on the duvet drying on the line!Which would be the only thing, no butterfly friendly plants to draw them in, need a Buddleia type of thing...

TTFN
Marian

Above our fallen tree, still looks pretty much like this too, garden guy will be back....!  With assistance!

Well, that's another birthday come and gone, why oh why do I have these great expectations on my birthdays!!!

I did work it out last year didn't I, something to do with when I was little I always expected my Dad to mysteriously turn up, really was never likely, especially after he died when I was only ten!

I still wake up all excited "its my birthday!!!!" yeah, the day can be good, usually is good, yesterday on the radio to Tenby they were playing music from the '80's, which really is nearly all the theme tune to my life!  So that was good... Tenby was lovely, then.... its almost like my birthday is over, and what? This awful feeling of disappointment hits my like a wet fish right across my face and a punch to my tummy!

No one else's fault, always mine....

TTFN
Marian

Red red wine.....

Man came about the tree today, has to come back, one man and a tree.... no good, we need scaffolding I think!  We had a friend visiting then man above arrived, then neighbour knocked on the door, Pippa is in 7th heaven!  She is such a diva, I truly believe she thinks everyone just comes to visit with her!!

Just looked to see when I last Blogged, this morning!  Crazy girl I am, had forgotten all about that, never mind eh!  By the way, have colored my hair again, sooooo much better now, what a state I looked!  Scary!

I just can't seem to wake up in the mornings anymore, more tired than usual... I think now I am almost more asleep than awake, or so it seems, yesterday at Frano's Moms for dinner, I could have fallen asleep at the dinner table!  I need more 'wake me up' foods perhaps?

Haven't been drinking any of the above photo in case that's  what y'all thinking!  That was a moonlite night in Spain!  Not a windy night on the Brecons!

Having an away day tomorrow, thanks to family, cheers M!  Off to a seaside town I've never been to before, one that Mom visited with her BF years ago, so no doubt, as in Bournemouth, I will see her there... in my minds eye of course!

Got another book in publication now too, so take a visit over there to PublishedByMe.blogspot.com to check it out!  A Book trailer for last cartoon book too, turn up the volume for that one, expect the unexpected, shall we say!

Puppy next door came a visiting yesterday, in the house, and in Pips bowl, she was not happy and sulked again, for the rest of the evening, I think I may have managed to block up the path little pup was taking, although time will tell, either it worked, or he will get bigger and not fit anymore soon!

I had so many dreams last night about travel, wasn't sure where I was when I woke up eventually this morning!  I was packing cases all over the place! Must check that out...

***If you are packing and unpacking multiple times, it points to an unsuccessful attempt to deal with far too much in your waking life, so reach out for help if you need it.***

Looks like all the 'stuff' I was packing then, each were symbols of the many things I am trying to deal with, and that I must sort out my 'life'case then!

I remember a friend wrote a beautiful letter to me years ago, about a blue bag, which was stretched, the seams darker than the bag where the original color still remained, she was carrying it, and she dropped it, the contents spilling all over the road, but I was there, to help her pack it back into the bag, and the things she couldn't fit in any more I carried for her, helping her with her burden...

After a day of rain on and off the sun is coming out now, so fingers crossed the sun will shine tomorrow...

TTFN
Marian

Today I have borrowed a reading from Facebook!  So many of you may have seen this already, its been shared nearly 200,000 times already!




 

A sweet lesson on patience.

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

Above night time shot of the local power station!   Its not this close of course!

And little Pip, standing on the window sill as usual!  Surrounded by hearts and sprinkles!  Awww my baby!

Been very luck with the weather the last few days, we're having a down pour at the moment, but overall its been okay here, we had an 'April' shower this morning when I was coming home from town, but been in the garden cutting back those ever growing brambles, will have blackcurrants in abundance soon! It'll be blackcurrant pie, blackcurrant jam, blackcurrant pudding and just plain.... blackcurrants!!!  I always remember a sweater I had when Mom and I went blackberry picking on Northchurch common, I got the juice on the cuff and the stain wouldn't come out!

Er, yes I was a kid, so a while ago, of course!

I tried a new product to take out my hair color, just temporarily, there was a whole page of why it wouldn't work on the back, which makes me realise now why it didn't work!  I think it took out any dark color I have put in over the years, but left the red!  Took ages to do, ages to rinse, and washed it again yesterday to try to control the huge head of hair I now have after all that product abuse!  But, don't worry folks, coloring it again tomorrow!!!  And will forever more!!!

Neighbours dog got in our garden the other day, he is just a puppy, but already nearly the size of Pippa, beautiful blue eyes, Pippa was horrified, she is fine with dogs bigger than her, but smaller... forget it, she sort of froze while it bounded around her wanting to play, and Pip just kept on turning, until finally snapping at the poor thing!  Managed to collect it in my arms and hand the little puppy back in one piece! No harm done, then Pip was all moody for the rest of the day, diva!

TTFN
Marian