The Youngest Grandchild

My word its still cold out there and the snow is still on the ground ,is it waiting for more ?

The little girl,on the bed is Emma ,she is my sister Jeans little grandaughter ,she is playing with her Grannys collection of Dolls .She has a sister Rachel ,Rachel and I share a birthday,which is rather nice as her mother,Joanne(Jo) is my goddaughter as well as my neice.When my sister Jean was having her second baby ,She had a son first ,Gary ,her husband Pete who was a long distance lorry driver,well when the babys birth was close Petes boss very kindly let him do local  runs ,Ar but the baby was quite happy where she was,and Jean went overdue ,me in a moment of weakness said if Pete couldnt be there ,of course I would !! and Petes boss ran out of local runs ,so on this particular day he sent Pete further afield ,no problem we had all decided Jean was going to be pregnant for ever !! At the time I worked in a filling station ,"dumdumdumdum Esso blue"putting tigers into tanks  ,and Jean looked after my then three year old Kate,I arrived with my little Kate,A voice came out of Jeans bathroom ,Jan Ive started can you take Kate and Gary to Pollys ......then come back to me (Polly was/is Jeans friend )the nurse is on her way !!,Oh me and my big mouth !! PANIC ,no keep calm ,this is your little sister ,!!!

In due course the Doctor arrived ,and Jean was safely delivered of a dear little girl , and I saw her first(says she smugly) Joanne a sister for Gary and a cousin for Mark ,Derek ,Sharon,and Catherine ,so now between us we have six children ,we did so much together with them ,now they are grown with familys of their own they are all still in touch,and get together when ever they can .

I tell this story on the aniversary of the death of our dear Mum ,she would have loved you little Emma and would have been in there helping you dress those dollys ,Its fifteen years since you left us ,and we miss you still ,but we ,your family are still close and remember the things you taught us .

    With Love to you all Jan xx       

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Thats life !!

Another sunny day ,the only thing is there is alot of snow underfoot ,that doesnt seem to want to go !I have to admit I dont like it ,I worry about people who have to travel. I woke up this morning... feeling ,well I dont know .....not quite headachey ,but as if I have another cold ,I feel hot and muzzy,so that decided me ,between how I feel and the conditions on the roads I rang in to say I wasnt going in to work ,I feel abit bad ,but at the same time ,sometimes you have to get your prioritys right ,it was the last day I was to work and if Im ill standing about waiting for buses to come home ,etc Im sure you know what Im getting at , I seem to have been doing this entry all morning ,First Jean rang so we had a nice girly chat ,about everything and nothing ,then friend Jackie rang ,upset,they have had their car stolen overnight .Surely not for joyriding ,in this weather !they had almost decided that John wouldnt be driving for much longer ,each year it amazed us by getting through its MOT yet again ,so now the decision has been made for them ,which is sad really it should have been their decision ,and not the b*****,who think they can help them selves to other folks property.Reading through this entry it strikes me its not exactly full of sunshine and light ,I think Id better close before I depress you all further !! With Love Jan xx XX

Happy Chri........oh its gone !!

Well my friends its nearly over for another year ,We will soon be saying goodbye to another year and welcoming in yet another one ,it is so true the older you get the quicker it goes .

Ive been trying all day to do an entry, and add some of the many pictures,I have taken over the last few days but I cant find them !Oh I know they are there we looked at them on the slide show thingy,but when I go to add pictures for the journal I cant find them !I know Im doing something very basic very wrong !So will leave it today and try another time as Im just making myself more and more cross !

I received some lovely presents ,hope you all did too !Maurice bought me a Web Cam ,and a rather nice scarf (to wear with sweaters )not winter muffler type !I had lots of bath goodys and some rather nice stationary and £95 worth of M&S vouchers ,from various members of the family ,they know how to please me ,so I shall be dancing in the isles at M&S any day now !!Books chocs and wine ,so Im a very lucky old gal !

Yesterday morning was busy, ringing up all the family grandchildren coming onto the phone all excited ,we then went into Peterborough hospital to see a friend of Maurices who is terminally ill with cancer ,Poor Mike hes in good spirits ,and very resigned ,but so sad as we were on our way to have Christmas lunch with my eldest son and his wife Chrissy ,Mike was going to try and eat some custard ,thats about all he could tolerate !he has a syringe driver for his morphine ,and I am so pleased that pain relief is so much better controlled nowadays . We got to Mark and Chrissys were I wasnt allowed to do anything ,so just sat back and was waited on and served a delicious dinner ,it was so nice to spend the time with them ,we set of for home early evening ,didnt want to be caught in a fog ,there had been a pea souper the previous night as often is in the Fens when ,there isnt any anywhere else ,all the drains and rivers,as it happened it was a very clear night with one very bright star ,leading us home ! We had a night together in front of the tv ,though very disapointed at the stuff thats been on ,Chrissy gave me some turkey to bring home so I made another sort of Christmas dinner today,and we spent some of the time listening to new cd;s , Maurice has now gone off to work !!So Im home alone ,me and the dog ,and the tele and you all my dear friends,so talking of tele thats what Im going to do ,I might even do some knitting ,just think no cards to write, no pressies to wrap, no pressure.So on that happy note ,enjoy the evening as I plan to .

     With Love Jan xx  

Has he been yet ?

A very happy Christmas eve everyone ,I cant believe I havent done an entry for six days ,though I managed to keep up with the alerts and comments ,just !I didnt even turn the commputer on ,on Monday and Wednesday ,both of those days I worked and went out in the evening ,so the following days were spent playing catchup !!I think everything is under control now ,So as I promised Ally ..........

My Dad loved to sing ,in my head there is a whole song book of songs he sang ,what ever he was doing hed be either singing or whistling ,though if I were to whistle hed say ,stop that ! "A whistling woman and a crowing hen ,neither any good to God nor men !!!" When I was really small ,(and remember the war was still on) ,this was the song he sang to me every Christmas.

I met a little fellow with a letter in his hand, he asked me if Id post it in the box to fairy land , So I  slipped it in the mail box for that little curly head it seemed to make him happy as he smiled and said .......Im sending a letter to Santa Claus ,a letter I hope he;ll recieve ,he;ll get alot of letters for playthings from other girls and boys ,But I want my soldier Daddy who;s better than all those toys ,So Im sending a letter to Santa Claus to bring Daddy safely home to me !                    (Is that sad enough for you? dear Ally !)

Well I guess thats it for today ,still things to do, as Im sure you all have so I wont hold you up any longer,except to say   have a lovely day tomorrow ,and thankyou to all my lovely J land friends ,for all the pleasure you have given me .......With all my love ,                     Have blessed Christmas time                      Jan xx 

Not long now

Goodmorning everyone ,Maurice came in at about six fifty this morning,and after a quick cuppa .Went to bed and is sound asleep ;so Im busy finding quiet persuits ,so I wont desturb him ,though he does sleep quite soundly once hes off ! I was busy last evening  after hed gone to work ,putting up even more strings of Christmas cards ,I found the tree ,and lights but not the baubles !!Hmm ?no doubt at the back of the hall cupboard ;I also wrapped up most of the presents ,to be passed around the family when we assemble at Sharons pub ,tomorrow night ,as you will see the two big bags ready to take!right thats explained most of the pictures !The fairy ,I hear you say what is that ?!!Well Charlotte my eleven year old ,and only Grandaughter ,(eight grandsons!) made the fairy when she was four ,at play group,and though her doilly dress is getting very yellow and the tinsel is not as bright as it once was ,I love her !although Charlotte fanes embarrasment when she sees her ,I know she is secretly pleased to see her again ,and pleased to know I keep her year by year .I used to have another fairy,but she got lost ....!She was the butt of a lot of jokes ,especially when my kids were teenagers ,they would love to point her out to their friends To look at her she was quite nice with pretty wings ,nice blonde hair ,and a lacy dress ,but on closer inspection she was found to have cross eyes and green knickers !! As I say she was lost for many years ,and then she appeared a couple of years ago ;with my daughter Catherine s (you know my Kate ) tree stuck up her posteriar ,!Theres my fairy I shriek ,amidst her laughter Kate said you gave her to me !did I?I might have done ??Mothers do strange things lol ....did I ?HMM

THE SUN IS SHINING HERE ,SO HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY

        With Love from Jan xxxxx

Caroling through J-Land

Donna ,of nightmaremom fame ,suggests we do an entry entitled Caroling through J-Land ,with our favourite carol ............So I have chosen ..Away in a manger ,no crib for a bed ,the little Lord Jesus lays down his sweet head .

On December 11th  1961 ,my second baby boy was born .twenty months after the birth of his big brother Mark .Derek was born in a big house ,where at that time one floor was taken over as a Maternity unit .A big house wonderful architecture ,lovely grounds,Oliver Cromwell is reputed to have stayed there ,so although I dont know its age ;that at least puts it to the time of Henry V111.It is called Thorpe Hall and is in Peterborough .Some years ago now it was sold.And is now owned and run by The Sue Ryder foundation,who do wonderful work ,palliative ,respite care  etc for cancer sufferers .

I came home from the maternity home on the late morning of  December 23rd ,and after settling baby and me in at home ,my late husband Mick ,went to a village a few miles away to get Mark who had been staying at my Mums .After introducing Mark to his new baby brother ,we settled them in for the night and as we sat down to eat ,we heard the carol singers at our gate ,being a village everyone new Id come home with our new little one ,We opened the door and was greeted with crys of delight and good wishes for us and our little boys ,Before they sang for us.. Away in a manger . 

All these years later I still wipe away a tear when I hear that carol .And Ive had lots of opportunities to do just that ,I went on to have two lovely Daughters and between them  they have given me nine fantastic Grandchildren ,so I have been to many nativities ,over the years ,where Ive indulged in shedding ,what must amount to a lake of (happy )tears .

       With Love Jan xx 

Ladies who lunch!

Hi ,everyone ,just a quickie today Ive not long been in .Left for work at eight this morning ,I worked through till twelve then ,joined the other Managers ,for a very nice lunch .I started with a prawn cocktail,(I know no imagination )but I love prawns !Then chicken with bacon ,brie and a piquant cranberry and rasberry sauce ,drizzeled over it ,with all the nice veg ,parsnips,carrots ,brussels and creamed potatoes with swede ,I couldnt eat a sweet so opted for a very nice cheese board and coffee .The girls were all on good form ,were all happy to see each other ,we swopped Christnmas cards ,and lots of lively banter ,I went for a ciggy with Anita ,she wanted to know what I get up too in my retirement ,I told her about my journal ,discovered shes with aol ,so she is going to have a look .Well this has to be a short one today ,so enjoy the rest of Friday folks     With Love Jan xx

PS  The skirt is the one I made !

Its driving me~ see mood !

Lovely sunny morning here ,the sort of morning that makes you want to get up and go ,thats the theory ,but some things gone wrong here in da bungalow !! well I caught up with all your entrys and made comments,Ive made some phone calls ,Ive tried on the skirt I made and the jumper I bought to go with it ,its the Managers Christmas lunch tomorrow .So I suppose Ive made a sort of start !!Work is so hectic as you would imagine ,I think Im giving it my all and not alot of me left for home ,of course its an age thing ,I havent got the same level of energy I had few years ago !There Ive admitted it !  I have a few more cards to do then that will be done with .Most of the presents are now bought (but not wrapped )things could be worse .My word ;what a whinger Iam !

My diary reads like this ,Friday -Rebecca picking me up at eight ,work ,then Managers lunch at midday (need Christmas cards for all other Managers ) ,Rebecca is to bring me home too .Saturday Maurice is on nights for three nights, Monday- Rebecca  rings and  suggests I move my Monday ,and come in Tuesday as they cant pick me up !Hah .......Cant do that Im promised to help do the funeral tea /coffee after Madges funeral on Monday (her family had asked could they come back to the hall after the service )its nice for her friends at the court to say their farwells and  it saves the family alot of work at this time ,some of the residents are going,to the service, I organised the transport yesterday.....  Am I boring you ?..... So Maurice has offered to take me in when he gets home ,Then my son Derek is coming up from work late Monday afternoon ;He lives in Dorset but works near Heathrow somewhere ,for our annual gathering of the clan and to exchange gifts ,he will stay over night here ,then go to work Tuesday morning ,my older daughter Sharon has a pub in Peterborough the ideal venue for us all to meet up Monday evening .So watch this space for updates !!and possibly some photos. I shall need Tuesday off to recover wont I? Then Im working Wednesday and Friday ........then on the twenty eighth.The company can then put me back in the box with the tissue paper ,onto the shelf till they need me again ,and I will be once more retired ...whew ! well my dear friends all that has worn me out as Im sure it has you! so I will say bye for now,       with love Jan xx 

Yours in haste !

Here it is the entry Im far too busy to do today ,But Ive just put a colour on my hair ,so what better way of passing the time ,while I wait for it to do,twenty minutes I think ,I should know Ive done it often enough !!Back to the "old grey mare again "Work yesterday was hectic ,yes I remember now how it used to be !! The girl who has just left didnt completely clear her desk !!I found the TV licence forms,which have to be completed by the end of November  !! =Those above seventy five dont pay of course ,but the other ones below that age pay a token five pounds ,so no prizes for guessing who was completing forms with nat ins numbers  and collecting fivers all over the place yesterday .Maurice was working until two yesterday ,so he said stay ,and I will pick you up,with the result I worked from eight thirty till two thirty ,but it was most satifactory as I shifted some stuff work wise lol ,So today the plan is to finish off the Christmas cards do my hair and some token housework  Maurice will finish at two today so that gives me a deadline !Hell be here just before three oclock .He may get chatted up to put up the decs  we still havent done it ,and Ive got piles of cards to put onto their strings around the lounge I think it would be nice to put all the ones from my dear journal friends in the study here ;as thats where  I seem to spend so much time ,on my addiction ................time to rinse hair!

Right, thats my hair coloured for another year !!Now just the cards to do and some tidying up!the rugs are all up the walls in the hall Scooby has just come scooting in and with the new laminate floor ,they go all over !! So on that happy note I must get cracking on ,Have a good day everyone          With love Jan xxxxx 

Chasing my tail

THREE.FIFTEEN  PM,every thing is running late in da bungalow today ,I got up quite early for a Sunday ,read some journals and commented on them ,I got caught up reading archives of a new one Id discovered ,phone rang it was Pete my sister Jeans husband ,"we ve been to a car boot near you,put the kettle on ,be there in fifteen minutes "Great ,I get dressed put kettle on ,and there they were ,lovely surprise for me; Maurice at work so he missed them ,lovely relaxed chat over coffee ;they were just thinking of making a move when Chrissy and Mark ,ring to say they are on their way over ,told them Jean and P ete are here ,so Chrissy said oh tell them to stay ,havent seen them for ages ,so more coffee,more chat lovely ,its so nice to get together better than phone and email which we all do ,as well !! So I havent done any thing that was on my list ,the mental one in my head ,of things to do today ,I dont care ,Im getting so laid back in my old age ,they will get done ........or not lol .My daughter ,Kate of Wood Green and Dodger fame !!was reading her bank statements ,only to realise sums of money were being taken from their bank account ,that she couldnt account for ,she rang the bank to query ,only to learn Martins(her husband )card has been cloned ,and the card was used in London ,the bank have the fraud squad involved and ,they should get their money back but not before Christmas !!!she said shes cried and cried ,poor Kate what a thing to happen ,bad any time but just now !!!....I will keep you posted on developments .I am now going to prepare dinner I wont tell you what we are having ,other wise you will all be here again and I really do have get on !and Im working again tomorrow .So for whats left of a bright sunny Sunday ,you all enjoy .....................With Love Jan xx

Sunny Saturday

What a contrast to yesterday the sun is shining brightly ,its just me thats foggy today . I cant seem to motivate my self at all .Maurice is at home today ,working again tomorrow though ,we ve been sitting over coffee; talking over different aspects of our jobs .When there is so much else we should be doing  Ar well !!

A big thankyou to all the lovely people who have sent me a  Christmas card ,we are getting quite a number now I must get the rest of mine finished ,I have sixty to do for residents ,at the Court and some communal ones for the other courts I worked on all year !Jeannette said her list gets longer each year ,well I know mine does ,I also kmow what it means to some of the residents to recieve a card  . whilst visiting them ,some of them have such a pathetic few ,I suppose as they get older their circle of friends,and family become fewer .After I finished the entry I did the other day about going back to work, and the day Id had,the post came and amongst some cards was a lovely home made from Madge ............ 

The minute Ive finished this entry Im going to do my hair,put my make up on and Im off to the shops Im going to take my shopping trolly which contains stuff to be off loaded at the charity shop .Shopping trolly ??yes Ive got one ,never mind the old lady bit were you get in everybodys way ,and run into folks !!its great; I wouldnt put my back through the stress of carrying loads ,tins ,veggys ,milk etc ,although at this time of year it does seem to be a requirment we all walk about with poly bags hanging off us ,well its no good sit ting here talking about it ,Im off to do it .

           Have a good Saturday, my friends ,  With love Jan xx

 

Fog across the fens

I ve been to work again ,and what a day to choose to go ,Rebecca picked me up at eight fifteen ,I had looked out when I got up it didnt seem too bad ,well it was barely light ,then as we got along the road ,there it was like a blanket,all the way ,we couldnt see,very far ahead but Rebecca is a good driver and was careful ,the thing is many of the roads ,as I said the other day, run along side drains and dykes ,from when the Fens were drained many years ago ,remember my entry about the Fens .So its a bit scary, many a car has ended up in there with often dire results ,Dont I do cheery entrys ?

We had a coffee morning which was marred because they were all missing Madge ,however they tried to be cheerful ,June came to talk to us about the extra care unit she will be managing ,and they have a party ,tomorrow evening to look forward too ,Emma had organised it before she left .And will be back for that ;I believe a presentation is planned .I finished at twelve thirty ,caught the bus into town ,I went to the bank ,and then instead of grabbing some Christmas shopping as Id planned ,I found my self in my favourite coffee shop ,with a cappuchino and a ciggy and was it Scarlett?from Gone With the Wind ,words ringing in my head.. Tomorrow is another day !then on to the bus for the fifty minute ride home ,still foggy !!My contact lenses have gone quite baggy ,with all the heavy peering Ive done through them today .

Maurice started at noon today ,so I left him in bed this morning ,obviously hed gone when I got home,he should be home at nearly midnight so I shall chill this evening; have a bath;  and watch some TV  ..Eastenders, Bleak House and Taggert ,always assuming I can stay awake ,can you remember the song ? The old grey mare ,she aint what she used to be .....Umm very apt !!

    Have a good evening, dont go out if you dont have to !with love Jan xx

Keys and tears

I went to work yesterday,I was up at seven ,better than six ! With plenty of time to do my make up and hair ,tidy the house abit ,and settle the dog . Carolyne arrived at nine ,she drove well ,well you never know ,our roads are funny running along side deep Fen drains ,and dykes ,country roads,frost ,etc I could easily get paranoid !!The conversation was good and equal,I hadnt met her before ,she hasnt been with the company long ,She got me there (at my old court)by nine thirty ,half an hour to do what buses took me nearly two hours to do ! As we drove into the road ,to the complex ,I saw it ;ambulance parked out side the office !doors open and no indication where ,the paramedics had gone .I called control via the door ,voice panel ,they opened the door for me , I pressed the button for them to open the key safe for me !It opened ...........no keys inside !!!!!,a few good old anglo saxon words used here !Whos crazy idea was it for me to return to work !!............Calm down your the profesional and can cope in any situation ,dug out my mobile ,rang Hq spoke to Rebecca,she said whats your mobile no Jan ,...dont know !!........ring me back in five ,anyway she got the keys to me and off we go ho ho,...then paramedics with a trolly followed by Rosalind  apeared so I knew it was Madge her Mum  ,I chatted to Rosalind whilst the men put Madge into the ambulance and began to work on her I could see things didnt look good ,Off they went ,but not before one of the paramedic gave me a look !..... .I called everyone ,then set off to visit the vunarable and  favourites !!Lovely to see them they were pleased to see me ,wanting to know what Im doing now; hows Maurice etc etc .   The mobile phone goes its Rosalind ,whos Mum Madge had gone off in the ambulance , Jan ,Mum passed away ................................Now Its my sad duty  to go and tell her particular friends ,a job I dont relish ,but it is better coming from me ,and it saves any speculation etc ,inform HQ inform control and paper work etc ,I love Madge and she has a lovely family ,as some said what a good job you were here Jan ,I kept going till I got home then .......... 

Its a great job with many rewards ,but also many heartbreaks .

We have coffee morning planned tomorrow morning ,and then I will have completed my first week back .

The sun is shining here as I hope it is for you ;with love Jan xx

Yesterday

I attempted earlier to comment on the few journals that were around this morning ,only to be told ,journals not available so had to wait awhile ,and do them later !So this is later comments done now lets see how we go with an entry !On Sunday for want of a subject and describe my day etc I told you about preparing dinner,and what a responce that got ,you all wanted to come and eat with us !now wouldnt that be nice ?Can you imagine it ,never mind the food ,just think of the conversation that would go on around the table ,if we could all be together I think it would be a banquet of words . 

I went to the dentist yesterday ,we are newly signed on in the practise ,we found out it was a national health one and were accepted ,lucky A?It was only a check up this time ,so no need to be nervous ???  Well I waited as you do; was then called in ,and was greeted by this absolutely beautiful petite real blonde twelve year old ,who was so nice ,she is to clean and scale ,and put a tempory crown on the offending one ,the next time I go ,then she will fill some !!she said ok a few times ,and also missing !she then proposes to make a bottom denture for the missing ones at the back ,I didnt like to tell her Ive already  got one in the button jar somewhere ,its probably older than her real age I lied at first lol ,did you guess?,She was very sorry she couldnt fit me in before Christmas ,for the temopary crown but told the receptionist to take my number in the event of a cancelation ,so I still have to be a ventriloquist (talking with my mouth closed )..........ok and the dummy !untill after Christmas lol .

Then in the afternoon I went off to the computer class for more of the same !!finished off her little quizes with time to spare ,would I like to play around on the internet ?NO!   Iexplained to her what I really wanted to learn!!and as her eyes glazed over ,right ;she says !! I dont know, I have got a book ,I will be reading that I think!One good thing they had got the Wilkie Collins I had ordered ,that you recommeded Jeannette .I cant wait to start that . So that was yesterday ,tomorrow Im going to be collected and it will be hey ho and off to work I go.So I will go and get ready for that .

       Enjoy the rest of this not very nice day here,   Love Jan xx   

Better the day better the deed

Not a lot happening on the home front ,today !Maurice is working but will be home tomorrow and  Tuesday .He was off yesterday ,we went into Huntingdon and did some Christmas shopping .So before I start preparing this evenings dinner I will do a quicky entry .

Im going to cook a nice little two people ,gammon joint I bought in Aldis last week ! I have just been over to Rainbow (Coop)and bought some fresh brussels, well weve had a frost now ;the theory is they dont taste good till after theyve had a frost on them !!some carrots and  parsnips potatoes ,to roast and if I do enough boiled ones ,I can make a shepperds pie (if they are not all busy watching flocks or washing socks or whatever )ready for tomorrow after the computer class ,Oh DA.....SH  ;I meant to buy a small pot of whipping cream,and do some thing with some fruit and meringue nests,oh well tangerine jelly with tin of same ,and some icecream or evaporated milk maybe ?Yup !!for afters . 

Watching Strictly come dancing , last night I see Bianca /Patsy has gone in favour of James ,hence the sunday lunch menu I see James is already spoken for in journal land lol. So Ill cook my own dinner shall I ?Darren Gough was fiddleing with the collar off his dress shirt ,reminded me of my Dad telling me of a memory of his ......."when we were little they used to dress us up in these high stiff collars ,that you had to jump up to spit over "!!bless you Dad you were a character ,and we loved you so much .

      Have a happy blessed Sunday folks ...........Jan xx

The show must go on !!

Yesterdays story about Wind in the willows ,set me thinking of other productions I have taken part in .When I was a young Mum I belonged to the Womens institute ,and loved it , it opened so many doors for me at that time,and yes we sang Jerusalem with gusto ,my jam was good enough for spreading onto my kids bread ,not exhibition standard! We were lucky as there was a good mix of members age wise ,the older ones tolerant of us younger ones ,and eager to teach us, not only the ropes but the correct procedures for meetings etc I learned how to plan a meeting and agendas and what ad hoc meant !!I went on, after having officers jobs in my own WI ,to become convenor to six other WIs and even went to the Abert Hall one year as our federation representative (this was all valuable training in latter years for jobs Ive done )when I say the older members were tolerant ,they were actually quite proud of the fact that some of their members were trying to,change the Jam and Jerusalem image by Pictures in the Stamford Mercury  wearing~ quote" the shortest mini skirts in Northamptonshire !!"(Ienjoyed wearing hot pants too round about that time !!).

Im digressing ,I really enjoyed WI drama and belonged to the drama group ,we put on plays, we did sketches ,lots of comedy routines ,we took part in drama festivals ,where we were ;nerve rackingly judged ,scutinized , adjudicated up on ,and got through to the next round quite often .I even went to a drama work shop weekend once with my sister Jean looking after my then small children .Then as the children got bigger and joined the cubs/scouts /brownies ,our talents were then called upon to entertain at fund raisers for these groups ,So yes like my old pal!!Sir Cliff ,...........I trod the boards in my time, if only ,in village halls .school gyms and scout huts ,so in good theatrical style I will leave you because         " I want to be alone "             well Ive no choice really as Maurice is working tonight LOL    With love daarrlings   Jan xx Mwah  Mwah !!

December 1st Rabbits!

Good morning everyone ,another nondesript day ,its trying to rain or is it snow ?Just had a nice chat to my sister Jean,on the phone and the chat inevitabley,turns to the journal and other miscellaneous topics...  .Did I get my glasses fixed ?no, not yet Im wearing my contact lenses.Have I made the new skirt? no but Ive cut it out ! and me to her ....(shes had a complete new kitchen fitted )is every thing back in place ?,yes its lovely ,but cant find the pigs that sit on the window sill ,but have found my Walkman ! you know the sort of stuff,we girls talk about ,Maurice says he cant keep up ,we flit from one topic to another !!yer but we know what we mean ,and when we are together we are both talking at the same time and each know what the others said ,I can do this with daughters and friends ,so its got to be a woman thing !!

I was watching Des and Mel (a talk show)yesterday and Cliff Richard ,was on ,hes actually three months older than me !he was talking about the first time he sang on stage in public ,it was at school .Wind in the Willows ,he played Ratty ,well so did I !Ican remember the song I sang too ~All along the back water through the rushes tall ,ducks go a dabbling ,up tails all ,ducks tails, drakes tails ,yellow feet a quiver .............(Ioften find my self singing it when Im with Maurice when hes fishing )all those years ago ,little Sir Cliff and me ,both unaware of each other ,look at the different paths our lives took !!As Jean pointed out ,yes Jan, look at your family ,........yes Jean, look at his bank balance !!!LOL of course I wouldnt swop ;this is all idle banter !

with lots of love from the infamous ...unfamous    Jan xx