Sycamore seed pod

On one of the steps going up to the back garden just now... life beginning... a tiny green shoot, making its way from the seed of a tree...

A seed pod from a Sycamore tree further up the garden... I have temporarily planted it near those steps... It wouldn't last long on the steps with Pipster up and down a hundred times a day forsure!

And it was nice coming home and seeing this new life... Firstly I  dropped some things off in town... parking right in the heart where its 'pedestrians only' after 10;30am... exceptions excluded!  I had gathered a lot of things, that I don't need any longer, and someone else can now make a new home for them, I hope, already one item is calling back to me from the store!! Oh no!!! I have had that little ornament for longer than my boys!!! But I am trying to de-clutter, I feel choked by all the stuff I have accumulated over the years, and I get too attached to each and every one of them, that's why the sooner I can also pass on my mom's things the better, except certain items of course!!!

I want to travel lighter from now on!

From town, I took the M4 off to Fforestfach, its such a beautiful sunny day, wall to wall blue skies and the sun feels warm to the skin... lovely!

So I drove there and sat inside [tables in the shade!], and had a wonderful Chai Latte in Costa!  I had walked around Home Sense... One of my favorite stores in the UK!  It is very difficult not to buy something every single time I go in!!  So I shop on ideas instead!  And today I got plenty of them!!

Things for my new Pinterest board on Plants!  And I saw somewhere on the net an idea using magazines tightly rolled up in small pieces used to make frames, boxes, art and decor... they had some there!!! Who saw what first!!  I always want to shout out "I'll have one of everything in assorted colors please!"

In Costa the barista was very happy! In fact she was extra happy and singing a song 'Pure Imagination' [from Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory], to everyone she served!!  I thought I would come away singing it... I did! :-)  Not a bad song to get stuck with!

Now back... Third day off, back tomorrow! Feels like such a long time!  Especially as I have to fit in a full weeks hours starting from Wednesday afternoon ending on Saturday!

TTFN
Marian

Aqua - Mystical Magic!

Veronica Roth's challenge in the name of Aqua!

noun, plural aquae 

 [ak-wee, ah-kwee] (Show IPA), aquas.

1.

Chiefly Pharmacology.

1. water.
2. a liquid.
3. a solution, especially in water.

So for me, for you, its photograph art!

Well, this was a toughie for me this week, started a new job on Sunday, a twenty nine hour a week rota should be the norm, but you know how it is, and this week, my first, was a forty hour week plus a sleep in! Panic started setting in yesterday, all I could think was Aqua... with no answer forthcoming, my 'Toast' was almost waiting for me to make it happen... but with new job, new location, new routines to learn, it was blankety blank!

So today, finished work at three and we went off to Porthcawl, a beautiful seaside town here on the south coast of Wales... I took a few photos... and earlier at work, seeing a strange item on the staff room dresser, which had to photographed by myself as I thought it looked strangely camel like!!!

Back we came, stomachs full of fish and chips bought at the fair ground!  And I started playing with a couple of different systems on my lap top and above is the result...

So what do we have!? A giant camel sea monster afloat off the Welsh coast! Sea monster... and plenty of the beautiful aqua off the Welsh coast...

Apologies! LOL But I couldn't just do nothing :-/

TTFN
Marian

Above was what faced us on the road back from Nottingham... M50 had been closed and we chose the road less driven!!! Not intentionally... and very glad the snow stopped at the kerbside and not on the road itself!

Beautiful sunset last night over Swansea, preceding this beautifully sunny day today!  Yesterday I started a new job... This is the third job I have started since June of last year by the by!

Same industry, a support worker, I was this time last year working locally, only a couple of times a week sleeping-in... I moved onto live in, on a two weeks on and two weeks off basis, nearby to Windsor;  Then onto live in wherever the need was, and over four months this only meant three weeks in Liverpool area and just over two in Cheltenham area...  My fault to some extent, not wanting to work over Christmas as our beautiful little grand daughter was due then, and also not wanting to be away for a few weeks, back for a few days and off again, I wanted to have a week or two here!!  So my next placement would have been in March... but... I applied for a couple of jobs nearby, exactly as I was a year ago :-) So, I went for an interview last Monday, a week today!  And started yesterday, I cancelled an interview I had for this morning, similar position, working as a PA support worker, but this would have only been a few hours a week...

Feast or famine... On our way up to see family in Nottingham on Friday got another call about another position!! He said to contact him if I wanted to at any time for a job with them... and then!!!! LOL a friend offered me a live in, week on week off later in the evening, but too far... Middlesborough is, with a half hour break, about six hours drive, 24hrs of driving over the course of a month... I can't, just can't!!!

But was feeling very happy for all the offers nonetheless!!! LOL

Today is a day off!! And making Chelsea buns... or cinnamon rolls as I am not in Chelsea??? Is it a trades description thing?  Wish you could smell them though!!

TTFN
Marian

Grow your Blog 2015

Am I too late! Better late than never, and I am normally never late for anything... but haven't switched on for a few days... visited migraine city!

So here is me!

Born in Los Angeles... I'm sure it wasn't black and white in those days was it really?

At least I was in full color by the time I was one!!

Mom and I traveled to England when I was just under two, and there we stayed.... until I was... older! When I moved to Spain, and lived there quite contentedly until only three years ago, when we ran out of work... and ran out of Spain, unfortunately, but only for a while, I promise, my heart is still there, and my home, which we visit as often as possible... America is still also my home!  I am American born and proud of it, despite being so young when I left, a huge amount of my family are there and every single day I wish to be in their arms, to have a Christmas with them, a Thanksgiving... So much I have missed over the years with the huge cavern of the Atlantic in between, I have only ever seen my brother three times... three times!! Can you believe it, and probably will only ever see him another three times? Or less even, its a huge void in my life...

Above and below shots taken at the church in our village in Spain, not far from our home...

The view above is just a little higher than the one we have from our terrace...

And finally views of here in Wales, where we live... for now...

Mumbles above... on The Gower peninsular

Walk from Langland Bay towards Caswell Bay

Me and Pippa at Aberavon! I know, she looks a little crazy doesn't she!

TTFN

Marian

Purloined this photo, changed the position of the jetty, added string of light's and Pinned it! This is now the jetty at my cabin, by the lake... Hey, dreams they do come true, I know this for sure...

Wishing very much this is where I am today...

It's my mom's birthday, I think this cabin of mine first took shape when I sat daily with my mom during her last week's, days... moment's... I tried to take my mom to places she had been, talking about Paris from her 'bucket list, our trips to Italy, back home in the states, and Spain...

I talked of strange dreams she had had and told me off; one such dream of a handsome man who she met on the fire escape outside her apartment window in New York, consistently over the years, and as the years passed both her and he aged... I like to think they are both young again now...

I also spoke of this cabin, I drew a mental picture of a home, my home, for mom, describing as if real... I took us there... down a quiet road, a turn, a gate, a drive through woods, there the cabin, the lake, a single level white painted cabin, up a small wide stairway, a complete wraparound porch, I told her there were two beautiful old rocking chairs near the front door, I asked her to sit in one and wait for me...

I imagined it for no reason at all in New England, Maine... lol, I know strange!?!  But last year going through things of moms I hadn't seen, I came across letters photos, books other memorabilia... my mom had vacationed with her parents at another families home in... Bar Harbor, Maine!  Her last trip would have been when she was eight, or even seven, her father died when she was nearly nine, and by nine taken to England 'to be schooled'...  So maybe she doesn't, didn't even really remember much of where she had been, she never spoke of holidays with this family they knew...

I learnt recently that the Incas belief of past, present and future was very different from ours, that all times are now, that memories of those gone and to come are with us, at all times... Bit 'out there' I realise, but is this why we know things, feel things about places we have never been to, a connection?

TTFN
Marian

Coney Island New York...

I have just finished watching the movie Love Never Dies, had to watch in two halves, being away working as I am and time limited...

It is a wonderful ending to The Phantom of the Opera, mom and I saw whilst fulfilling her bucket list... she had wanted to see this, especially as it is based in Coney Island, New York, her and my dad's playground as a young courting couple... it was opened on stage in mom's final weeks
...

And being at Coney Island in June, leaving a scattering of my mom there... it would have been mom's birthday on Saturday, the 24th...  I shall be driving back to Wales, thankfully not the longest of journeys.

So feeling sad and little girl lost, still wishing I could get just one more day, one hour... one more moment in time, speak once more.

I have worked for people who speak of regrets, wishing they had said something different, done something differently, they remember bad things said, or actions they feel they should not have taken, some of them are funny things, some just life! And I tell them, if you had spoken something differently than what you did, or done something differently, you would still be thinking or saying the same thing, that you could have lived, spoken, or acted differently...

When people die it seems regrets will always be there, guilts, the anger at loss, the missed chances maybe we always think we have time for...

We have no time ahead, the time is now...

Toast!

Toast and clam! South Pacific of course, and real butter, nothing more, nothing less...

Toast challenge Veronica Roth...

Here is a toast to 'Toast'... To each slice of bread, whether brown or white! Wholemeal or rye, thin thick or downright doorstep! We love you 'Toast'... Slathered in butter or margarine, then left for the purists, or adorned with marmalade, honey, jam or Marmite!

 viva  'Toast'... Be strong of crust and mouthwatering of body and texture... we adore you!

TTFN
Marian

Very difficult Blogging from my phone or Kindle! Internet here keeps dropping, both choose words that are not of my choosing! My rushed writing at times when I can proves very random and oddly thought out! Or is that just normal for me!?! Yes! But you see here on the Kindle, if screen blanks out page has to reload, words are lost, my train of thought gone...

About the Hydrangea above... the plant is only small and hedge bound, in previous couple of years I must have cut back beneath the hedge, unaware this was even a plant, so last spring, working away as I am now, the plant got a chance to bloom this year! Yeah!  There were only three or four flower heads, and even now, long after blooming there is something special about its beauty...

Above is Porthcawl this Christmas past...

I laughed when looking back at my Blog, had to change so many typos, due to spell check! And mainly because of the promised 'foot' note!!!

Bet no one even noticed it was missing huh!?!

I have been forgetting to mention my broken toe, again... still! Had an x-ray, it's healing slowly, where I had placed it back into a straighter position (!!!), It's a bit on edge, so healed on the left side, lots of calcification there built up, and on the right, unheralded! Doctor in hospital said it will take about a year, no high heels! Hmmmm! Okay, easy to accomplish for me these days! And the odd on going pain and ache, the redness on my toe and side of foot just near it when my foot is wet or cold or hot!??? Some sort of arthritis caused by broken bones, which will never go!

End of footnote!

TTFN
Marian

E&OE

Couple of very strange statements here, and 'foot' note' ha ha!

Having read a piece of information about our memories today, reasons why we forget, the age our brains start to forget, 20, by the way! Chemical or drug related reasons, I cane across this...

*A super autobiographical memory*

"They can recall the details of what they were wearing on a particular day 20 years ago!"  This is me, add that to the problem I have with noises that drive me mad, especially eating noises, or other little repetitive noises, Misophonia!

Yes, even I agree I have some very strange foybles!

And there will be a strange Blog post here on Saturday, thanks to a challenge sent out by a fellow Blogger, amazing artist... friend, Veronica...

So Warning alert!

And now, as I tidy up, and await time to 'clock' off from work duties... It's eleven and feeling too pooped to pop, (my mom's quote!). Been awake and working since seven... Blah!

Had been enquiring of the universe something, and the universe answered today! So decisions to make, and thoughts of 'be careful what you wish for' flutter through my mind...

TTFN
Marian (in thoughtful confusion!)

Photos taken at Pembray country park January 2nd 2015

January 2nd 2015

Me and my grand daughter... The very most beautiful baby girl in the world, I already loved her unconditionally before she was born, and now Cassie is here, I love her even more if this is possible. Proud to be her Nana...

And exceptionally proud of my son and his girlfriend :-)

TTFN
Marian

Received a gift a few weeks back, a great box of Scottie biscuits!  The tin, and the biscuits therein!  Only opened them last evening, didn't realise the buscuits were doggy shaped, how cute are they!!!
And now, of course, also I will have to keep the tin!!! Another 'keeper'... Was thinking yesterday I will have to get rid of my post card collection... why do I have them? why do I keep them? I never look through them after all...  Mmmmm strands of Christmas blues coming through.... I have been fighting them off, because this Christmas we have a baby due!  Barry and Heidi's baby girl!  I must get rid of my Christmas low once and for all this year, just hard, after so many years of feeling this strange loss of something at this time of the year...

....and here below, already in a store down the road a way... Cadbury's Creme Eggs already!! What the heck is going on, at least give us the travel adverts, the sales all over the place adverts... and then, second week into January let the mad crazy [Easter]Egg race begin!!

Couldn't believe it when I came across them!!  Had to snap up the Kodak moment to share!

In Cardiff last week I noticed a girl bending down to peer at a post in the street!  Unsure of her sanity or health!  I looked at where she had looked, in so doing giving the same impression to others of that I am in no doubt! And there... as you see below it said 'Look inside'.... so I did, I had to!  And no I didn't get a black rimmed eye, no trick involved... but a brilliant small still life....

There!  Ladders, people! Ha! Who would have though it eh... and more in the street, next time, more small life in posts, I will post here!

Did have a very yummy doughnut though, Krispy Kreme doughnuts no less... and just looking at this link... I see they deliver on line!! Are they joking!!! Okay, this will quieten down my Christmas gloom, or at least give me so many calories I won't be able to run from it, and thereby face it at last head on...

OMG a doughnut tower... that, of course I realise could not be for one person... however much an addict one could be of Krispy Kreme... although... I don't know, maybe give it a go eh!?!

TTFN
Marian

Formby Beach, Liverpool coastline.

Some photos I took on the beach in Formby, on the Liverpool coastline...

Above some of the wind turbines out at sea...

These sand dunes look almost identical to the ones in Pembry, and the walk to the beach the same too!  I could have been picked up and dropped in either spot and not know where I was!!!

With the naked eye... the above looked more like one of those monster machines from War of the Worlds!!  Thankfully able to zoom in with the camera an oil rig came into view.... as if floating above the sea, its legs dangling down ready to make a move onto the planet Earth!

On extra 'zoom in' above still looks a strange thing indeed!

The path down to the beach at Formby, it was a long, long walk from the car park!  An observation deck half way had been where I was headed, and thought it the beach, but no!  Still further to walk, first up hill and then down!

TTFN
Marian 

World of frost!

Today some frosty shots from this morning, all below in the back garden, the one above, the top of the car! Looks like a soft plush white fluffy  rug on top!  It wasn't! it was ice particles looking very fluffy! So cool!!!! lol

The butterfly tree looking decidedly iced!

Now, you see really the big camera should have been brought into the picture here, excuse the pun! Too blurry above, especially as I had a hot cup of coffee in one hand the phone in the other and had to tap the screen without either spilling or dropping either item!

Dew trapped over night on the leaves here... little tears of cold, droplets of plant fuel... held in frozen anticipation of a wintry sun...

TTFN
Marian

Here I am on location! That sound cool doesn't it, although here I am at work is the deal... I am placed in a region not mine, but when told the location I had to do it, that and not good idea to turn down work of course!  But here I am, near the land of my grand father, he was born in Rice Lane Liverpool, I am near Southport, so not that far away, but this town seemed familiar and looking on the map found its right next to Formby! Where my great grandfather and mother lived their final years and died...

I have now walked the street they lived in, a couple of times, unfortunately I couldn't find the exact house as I only know the name and no number... But, well near enough, no no, anyone who knows me knows that's not enough, feel very disappointed couldn't stop and stare and feel connected with their exact house and home...

I have been to Southport a few times now, if it brightens today I will go to the botanical gardens, but I have been to The Atkinson, a old beautiful building in Lord Street, spent an hour only appreciating local artists and craft work, really very good, wish I hadn't had to walk around so fast, galleries are meant for time, thinking, taking in...

Anyway... I have used the maps on my pho e to get about, which has worked both ways, sending me round in circles, literally!  I ended up following a random Mercedes the other day, I had been following signs for a shopping centre, the signs stopped and I figured she might be going that way... She was, so I did!

Had to pay parking, at a retail park!?! And in the town really expensive, bit like Neath, but then maybe with them both being coastal... (Mmm, true, not Neath! Lol), and here the beach is way away from the town centre!!

Tried to grab more photos, phone playing games!!

Posting now just in case!

TTFN
Marian

11th of the 11 2014 Armistice Day

On the news today they were in a British town of Bishop Auckland, Durham... The newscaster was at a school where during WW1 they planted oak trees for each of the young men who had died in the war, they were former school pupils... they did so again for those young men who died during WW2 and the last tree to be planted in  memory of a man who died in Basra 2003.

Today, as every 11th November, in the school hall a child will hold the name of one of the soldiers who gave they're lives, and one by one the 59 names will be called, and that child will leave the hall, leaving those left with the loss of the soldier passing... There are, from memory nearly twenty 100 year old massive oak trees, some twenty years younger, and the last, but by no means least still young sapling planted by the soldiers children more recently.

I hope those trees live on as a reminder of those lost at war... what an amazing memorial for those left behind, each tree a part of a family, I guess to many of the children at the school one of those trees signifies one of their ancestors...

These trees were under threat... I hope they remain safe, I feel if they cut them down now, they would bleed blood not sap...

Found a link here...

TTFN
Marian

Here I am... long lost girl that I am these days from my Blogger page!  Either been at work, on a week long course or just plain AWOL!!!

First photos of course!  And above I noticed yesterday morning a bramble still very much in full bloom, so will we be seeing blackberries again this year!  Remember the single blackberry in January this year!  Temperatures have been so high still for this time of the year.... Away last week in Alcester, we were hitting 18degrees most days and 22 on one day!!! And me in my new winter parker! lol...  The hottest Halloween on record, so 'they' say!

This amazing house is in Merthyr Tydfil, it stands proudly at the top of a steep road away from the high street, I saw it from the main road and just had to walk all the way up to the top and take this photo!  And with a little help from various add ons on my phone and computer this is the final outcome!  Maybe I should post the original too!!??  This house would be outstanding brought back to its former glory!

This wonderful globe in the centre of the town of Alcester, it says 'Goodwill to all'.... Had a great weeks course, it was strange to begin with, not as I was expecting it, shared accommodation, so suddenly living with three women who you don't know at all!  Started with two, then we became three, and the following morning we were the Ace Team of four wonderful friends and seems strange not being in their company now!  We shared the room, a good room, I think the barn originally of an old house, on the first floor, with all the normal facilities, very comfortable really, except the squeaky beds! lol  We also sat together each day for training and for lunch!! Yep, pretty much joined at the hips!!

The unusually placed clock face on the church at Alcester... it faces down the high street by the way!!

Sorry, this isn't the course lunch, but the lunch I had on the Sunday when I arrived, early of course, and at in the very very lush Vintage Tea rooms of Orangemabel! Every tea cup, saucer, milk jug and tea pot un-matched! Individual tables and chairs, the staff were wonderful and the food all looked very well presented and tasty... above, I had a jacket potatoes with brie and cranberry's, with a side salad and coldslaw! Mmmmmm!  Is two and a quarter hours to far to go for lunch??

Now I am off out, I will be back soon, I promise amigos!

TTFN
Marian