Catching up on A-Z.

Oh dear, I knew it was too good to last! I am 4 days behind with the A-Z challenge. I do however have a very good excuse. We have had no internet access for 3 days. Apparently according to BT's status help line there has been a major problem in our area. This seems to mean our village! No idea what happened but it is now back. I can't tell you how annoying it was. How the world has changed, that being without internet access is so frustrating.

Anyway, I have missed M, N, O and P. I am not going to have the time to do them justice so I think I will just make this a quick catch up for all 4.

M is for Morton. I live in the village of Morton. It is in the county of Lincolnshire and on the edge of the Fens. I love it here. This photo shows the village church. It is at the very far end of the village from me but I can see the clock from my garden.

N is for nothing! After nearly an hour of pondering, I simply have not been able to think of anything, so it is NOTHING!

O is for Osmonds, specifically Donny Osmond! In the mid seventies I was a teeny bopper and Donny Osmond was my hero. I was going to marry him! Somehow that never worked out! This was the only period in my life when I was really into music. I still like Donny Osmond and still think he has a lovely voice but it is years since I have played any of his stuff. I never play or listen to any music really. I never have the radio on. I prefer peace and quiet.

This is a young Donny Osmond.  The one from my teens.

P is for positivity. I touched on this in an earlier blog. I am a realist so I can sometimes find it hard to remain positive but it is an area that I am currently trying to work hard on. I am currently positive that I am going to find it very hard to do tomorrows challenge with the letter Q! Sorry! Couldn't resist that.

As you can see I am now really struggling with this whole challenge thing.

I just checked out the official list and I haven't been struck off yet! I am currently number 1586. I have read some blogs but with over 1600 there is little chance of me getting through all of them! How lovely it would be to have that much time.

I am looking forward to seeing what people come up with tomorrow for the letter Q. In particular my cousin who is working on a theme of friends and family.

Thinking of themes, maybe that is where I have gone wrong in doing random blogs. Perhaps a theme would have been easier. I don't know. I'll try and struggle on.

Jilly

A – Z Challenge. L is for Loulou

Loulou was our Dalmatian. We lost her on the 18^th of January. She was 14 years, 9 months old and it was her time. She was tired and she was done.

This is our last photo of her, a week before she died.

She was born on the 27^th of March 2000 along with her brother Alfie. 

 

She lived with her Mum, her brother and little Sandy. They had the best life and were all very much loved. 

All 4 of them liked to play in the Bluebell Woods but this shows Alfie and Loulou.  We are waiting for the blubells to come out as we are going here to scatter the ashes of all 4 of them.

Loulou full of life

As is the way of things, one by one they all became old and one after the other we lost them. Loulou was the last. She died very peacefully at home with us right there with her. We have been lucky as all 4 of them have died at home.

I still miss each and every one of them so much. It never gets any easier. People who have never had a dog as a part of their family will never understand that.

K is for Knitting

A – Z challenge for today is “K”

Hmm this has been another hard one for me. I have come up with knitting.

My Mum was a very good knitter. A very prolific knitter too. She always had something on the go and knitted all our jumpers and cardigans when we were small.

She also got much joy out of knitting for her Grandchildren too. It was very sad when she finally stopped. It was some while before the Alzheimers really set in but I think in part it was because she found it harder to follow a pattern and that may well have been because of the disease.

My sister is also an extremely good knitter. She has produced some beautiful things. She is currently knitting for her new Grandson. I don't actually remember, but I assume that it was Mum who taught her.

I can remember Mum trying to teach me. She wasn't that patient with me! Thinking about it, I guess I get my lack of patience from her. Anyway, it didn't go that well. I did manage to knit a small red teddy bear in plain garter stitch to get my Brownie badge.

Over my late teenage years I did also knit a much larger teddy who I still have and when I first knew Simon I knitted him a jumper and a cardigan. If I remember the jumper turned out very large and he only ever wore it a couple of times. The cardigan was a belted affair and I think it came out OK but it wasn’t really him. He wore it about twice!

I had another go when I was expecting Sam and knitted some bootees. Then when I was expecting Saskia (my 4^th) I knitted a couple of matinee jackets and some bonnets that were fairly successful.

Then it came to a stop. Until around a year back when I decided that I wanted to try a different craft each month. I decided to try knitting first as I would so much like to be able to master this.

Over the year I have knitted a few things. I started out with simple garter stitch squares which have since been sewn up to make a blanket which Beanie now has. It isn't very good but he likes it! Sewing up is even harder than the knitting!

Then I made a garter stitch, cross over, 50's style, neck scarf. It was OK, but would have been way better if I had used the correct wool. I was just using up oddments that I had from somewhere.

Then I appealed to some Etsy friends for easy starter patterns. My friend Spinning kindly sent me a kit so that I could test it for her. It was for fingerless gloves.

My friend Liz has a brilliant pattern for beginners, one which you can find here: Mad Mum Knits  I purchased it from her and I made myself the whole set which I was very pleased with. Excuse me with my eyes closed!

I have also made Simon 2 cowls and the gloves and I made all the girls gloves for their Snowman present at Christmas. Please note, two of them have them on the wrong hands so you can see the seams!!  Silly girls. Doesn't matter much though as I know one of them will never have worn them anyway!

I am quite good at this pattern now!

Unfortunately that is as far as I have progressed. I like using the chunky wool as it grows quite quickly. I need to find an easy pattern for something that isn't a scarf or gloves as I think we have enough now!

Do you knit? Who taught you? What is the best thing you have done?

Jilly

A - Z Challenge "J" is for ME!

A – Z challenge for today is “J”

Easy peasey. “J” is for Jill and Jilly.

“J” is not for Gillian.

Names are funny things aren't they? I am fascinated by names both first names and surnames. I love to learn the origins of surnames and also the reasons behind why people are given certain names.

I am sure most of us know the origins of common surnames such as Baker and Smith etc. but it is not always so obvious where first names have come from.

Of course often it is family tradition. EG. Our first born is called Samuel James after 2 of his Great Grandparents.

Many of us will know the story of how Brooklyn Beckham got his name! Quite where Gwyneth Paltrow came up with Apple for her daughter is anyone’s guess.

The best name I have found in my family history research is Happy. I love that! She was a little girl born in 1846 if I remember correctly and the 13^th child so I wonder how happy her mother really was? Perhaps they hoped if they gave her that name then she would always be happy. Who knows​?

Anyway, Back to me. My given name was Gillian. I don't know why my parents chose that name. No one else in the family has it. I assume they just liked it. In that case why was I never actually called it? They always called me Jill. My Mum also called me Louby Lou and Dolly Day Dream I was called Jill at school.

Oddly, I have always spelt Jill with a “J” and yet as I am a Gillian you would have perhaps expected me to spell Jill as Gill. I wonder why that is. Who first spelt it as Jill?

Then I met Simon who has always called me Jilly and through my adult years most of my friends have called me Jilly. I am still called Jill by some very old friends and some family members.

It is just as well as I don’t like Gillian. Strangely though if I have to sign my name or initials I will sign Gillian or GGS. Odd isn't it.

I am also intrigued as to why people change their names. I know quite a few people who call themselves by their second names. I don’t have a second name but for me I would find it some how disrespectful to my parents to not use the name they chose for me. I know I would feel quite miffed if any of my children chose to change their names.

Sometimes it seems to me a bit pretentious too. In Simon’s family 2 of his siblings have chosen different names for themselves. His brother Andrew morphed into Felix some years ago and even longer ago before I knew them, his sister Claire changed into Francessca.

Is your name your real name? Do you have a nickname? I'd love to know.

Jilly

"I" is for "I".

Here we are again, happy as can be, tra la la la la! I think insanity is setting in. The A-Z challenge is really hard. Today it is “I”.

I pondered this and pondered it yesterday and my mind was a total blank. Then just when I was about to give up I could hear my Dad calling out to my Mum...... “I”.

Her name was Iris but much of the time he called her “I”.

Now I feel guilty that I didn't immediately think of her but in my defence I didn’t call her I or Iris I called her Mum.

It is coming up very shortly to 3 years since we lost my Mum. It seems like much, much longer. I have so much guilt over my feelings.

She was a good Mum. We had our ups and downs through my teenage years like many do but we always got along. Many of you will know her story and that she had Alzheimers disease. It is the hardest thing that I have dealt with in my life. I still find it hard to the point where I can't talk about it.

Instead I shall post a photo so that you can see what “I” looks like.

This was taken on her last birthday and although it is not the best of photos I cherish it because it is the last one ever taken of the 4 of us.  

Jilly.

A- Z challenge - "H"

Well, here I am again for another day and I confess it seems to be getting harder.  Today is "H"  

I pondered this yesterday and couldn't think of anything.  Last night I saw something on TV, some statistics about how many hours a day children play outside compared with  a few generations back. I can't remember all the details but it was something like 4 hours 50 years ago and 1 hour now.  They also said that lots of children had never built a sandcastle or flown a kite.  Again I can't remember the numbers.

It made me think about my own childhood where we always played outside.  We had a green in front of our house and we would play there.  We used to cycle around it on our bikes.  Sometimes in the summer the Mums would sit out there and chat but much of the time we were unsupervised. 

My own children were allowed to play outside but only in the square in front of our house or on the hill at the back where I could see them.  They were not allowed beyond there and while they were quite young I would sit on the front doorstep to watch.   

My grandchildren are not allowed to play in the street although all of them play outside in their gardens. 

Where am I going with this?  Oh yes.....  I started to think about my childhood games and my favourite was Hopscotch.  Who remembers that?  

For anyone younger who might not, I will explain.  You used chalk (or a pebble) to draw a grid on the ground with numbers up to 10 and then you rolled a stone and had to hop and jump to that square.  It was great fun and cost no money.  Simple pleasures.   I wonder what today’s children would make of it.  I shall have to try it out with the grandchildren. 

A good explanation can be found here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopscotch

So “H” is for Hopscotch.

Jilly

G is for Grandchildren

Day 8 of the A-Z Challenge and it is "G" for Grandchildren.

Grandchildren are the best thing ever!  I can't begin to tell you of the excitment when you learn that one is on the way; or the joy when the little bundle finally arrives. 

We are lucky.  We have 6 Grandchildren so far and I am sure there will be more. We have 2 Granddaughters and 4 Grandsons.  They are all very differnt and all an absolute delight.  I could say so much but I would need to write a book so instead I shall just post some photos!  

 Ellie Grace

 Evan Reuben

 Flynn Spencer

 Jessica Madison

 Jackson George

 Shafiq Morra Usman

Dad with his 6 Great Grandchidren.  L- R Evan, Flynn, Jessica, Jackson, Annabelle and Ellie.

As you can see the first 5 photos are all taken with their Great Grandad Alf.  This is for 2 reasons, some of my children aren't too keen on putting photos of the children online, so I have gone for baby photo's and secondly, I wanted to show just how much these children meant to my Dad, their Great Grandad.  He adored them all and they him.  It is so lovely that my 4 eldest had very strong bonds with him and saw him regularly and have great memories. 

It is a great sadness that for little Jackson and Annabelle (my sisters grandaughter) they will not remember.  The biggest sadness of all was that he never got to meet little Morra who he was so excited about.   Of course he now has 2 more, Scarlett and Joshua who are my sisters grandchildren. 

The 6th photo shows Morra with his Grandad.

Jilly

A- Z Challeneg - E & F

Well here I am again, trying to keep up with this challenge.  Actually as you can see from the title I am cheating today by doing a 2  for 1 effort.  E & F  Together!

E is for empty and F is for full.  

Yes, you have guessed correct, it is a reference to the glass being half empty or the glass being half full.  So which are you, full or empty?

I confess that I am a glass half empty kind of person although I do occasionally have smatterings of half full glasses.  

Of course what we are actually talking about here is pessimism versus optimism isn't it?  Or is it?   Now that is where it gets me all wound up.  You see, although I am a half empty person, I am also a pretty optimistic person.   What I definitely am is a realistic person.  I am a person who deals in facts. 

So the fact is the glass in front of me is half empty.  I can see that.  Realistically, there will always be times when it is going to be half empty.  BUT.... I am ever optimistic that sooner or later it will be full.  

So when I say that I am a "glass half empty" kind of girl, don't judge me and mark me down as a miserable pessimist.   I am a realist.  

I am also extremely grateful that I have a glass. Always be grateful for your glass, whatever the content.  Your glass is a blessing. 

Jilly

"D" is for Dog.

Day 4 of the A- Z challenge means that today it is “D”  I am going to continue with the theme of blessings. 

“D” is for Dogs. Dogs are my passion. I have loved dogs my entire life. My Mum used to say that even as a tiny tot in my pushchair I would reach out for any that were nearby.

I was never allowed a dog as a child as my parents weren't really doggie people, although my Dad did come to love Alfie and Loulou in the last few years of his life.

My Mum used to say “when you have your own home you can have as many dogs as you like”. We have had 6 so far. At one time we had 4 together. Currently we just have one.

In the last 3 years I have been able to take my passion one step further by doing volunteer work for Three Counties Dog Rescue. I now regard myself as having over 70 dogs. Every one, of our small band of volunteers at Three Counties, treat the dogs just as we do our own. We love every single one of them. I just wish they could all find loving homes. Sadly as one goes out to a home another little soul comes in.

Here are some photos of the 6 doggie blessings that I have been privileged to have in my life.

Buick.

Sandy.

Rosie.

Alfie.

Loulou.

Beanie.

Jilly

"C" is for Coralie

Day 3 of the A- Z challenge so it is the letter “C”. Seeing as I have been thinking so much about blessings recently, I have decided to keep this easy today. I am also aiming to make it shorter as apparently that is good!.

“C” is for Coralie. Coralie is my 2^nd child and eldest daughter. She is an incredible woman who I am terribly proud of. Many of you know that she hasn't had the easiest of rides with her health.

She suffered for many years with all kinds of women’s problems and other stomach issues. This culminated last year when she was very ill and had several lots of major surgery. Some of you know the details. I won't go into it all here.

The wonderful news is that she is finally back to full health and ready for anything. In her words “I feel like I can do anything now” I know that she can.

One of her many pursuits is cycling. She got into it seriously a few years back. She has done quite a few rides for charity. This October is her biggest yet. She is doing the “Cycle Africa Challenge” in aid of women’s cancer charities. They are Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, Breast Cancer Care and Ovarian Cancer Action. It is a huge challenge. I am so proud of her. Did I say that already?

Here are a few photos of her on her bike.

 

 

 

If anyone would like to donate a few pennies to this cause then you can visit her Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/coralie-c-huson/

At the bottom of this blog post I have copied Coralie's own words from her page. (in Pink)

Children are one of the biggest blessings a person can have and I have been blessed 5 times. Coralie is one of those blessings.

Story

I read recently that 1:4 people will encounter cancer at some point in their lifetime. I don’t know how such a statistic is calculated but it is scary. I am one of 5 children, that means one of us will be affected by cancer, or one of my 5 nieces and nephews. What a thought. I figure we all need to pitch in and do something about it.

Some clever people carry out research into medicines and procedures, some people wear a ribbon or a band in support of a charity, some donate monthly or put coins in a collecting tin. Me? I am going to cycle many long and sweaty miles across Tanzania to raise money for women’s cancer charities.

 

Many of you know how much I love my bike, how much I enjoy being out on the road. But make no mistake, this is a big challenge. 9 days away from my boys, 9 days of heat, (I hate being hot!) and six solid days of cycling in a different climate, on different terrain, with a group of women I have yet to meet! I can't wait, but what a challenge!!!

Thanks for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page.

Donating through Just Giving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Just Giving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

I am thankful for whatever pennies and pounds you are able to donate. They are going to a good cause.

THANK YOU.

Jilly

B i s for Blessings and Beaine Boy.

I must be on a blogging roll. I managed 2 yesterday and now here I am ready to do day 2 of the A-Z challenge.

I think mainly it is because today is an easy one, it is the letter B. Now when I restarted my blog last week I was doing some posts on blessings which begins with a B. There is another that begins with B and that is Beanie.

Beanie is our newly adopted dog. He first came into our lives back in December 2014 when he came into the care of the Three Counties Dog Rescue where both Simon and I do volunteer work.

He was a very sad boy. He came from a very poor background. A family who did not love him or care for him and in fact kept him in a state of dreadful neglect and illness. He lived permanently outside in a concrete yard in all weathers.

It is a long story of how he came to be handed over to Three Counties and one that serves no purpose to be shared here. He was in such a dreadful state that he went straight into the hospital unit at our Vets where Michelle the head Vet diagnosed demodectic mange and severe malnutrition. He spent 6 weeks in the hospital under the care of the wonderful Vets and nurses and they got him back on his feet so he could come to the kennels.

Simon loved him straight away. Here are some photos form that first day.

 

 

 

As many of you will know already we lost our beloved Loulou in January on the same day as the dreadful fire at the kennels. It was an awful time for us.

We always knew that we would take another dog into our home very quickly as we can't bare being without a doggy companion. Not to mention that we have a home and love to give and there are all those dogs just waiting for someone to come along for them.

We had also promised ourselves that when the time came we would take either one of the oldies or one of the long termers. For all kinds of reasons it didn’t work out like that and Beanie was neither. However it has helped to heal our consciences to know that he almost certainly would have become a long termer as he is a Staffy cross and he is white. People don’t want Staffies and they don’t like white dogs. Sounds funny that, doesn’t it? Trust me it's true.

So on the 23^rd of January 2015 Beanie came home with us. As I said previously he is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross, the Vet believes he is crossed with an English Bull Terrier but without DNA testing we won't ever really know. It doesn’t matter.

He was around a year old when he came to us in January but sadly we do not know his actual date of birth so his birthday will be celebrated each year on the day he came home.

Here are some photos from that first day at home.

 

 

 

 

 

We have now had him for 10 weeks and it seems like he has always been here. He is truly a blessing. He has made it a little easier to bare the loss of our Loulou although I still miss her every single day as I do our others that went before her. Buick, Sandy, Rosie and Alfie were all true blessings.

Beanie is adorable, he loves to play and his favourite toy is a very chewed up rugby ball.

 

He loves every single person that he meets but sadly he is very nervous around other dogs. We are working on that but given his background he may always be that way.

We are so grateful to Burghley Vets for getting him back to health and to Three Counties for allowing us to adopt him. We are truly blessed.

More photos:

 

 

 

Assuming I am able to keep up my blogging habit you can expect to see many more photos of Beanie over the coming weeks!

Jilly