Its the week end again

I feel sure this clever graphic is one of Donna's....It certainly sums up how I've been feeling about my journal and everyone elses  the last few days ,the blue screen with 'back to journal' has become a familiar sight ....when trying to read journals and add comments,I have had people e-mailing me to say ,they couldnt get to my journal and putting their comments into e-mail ,I really appreciate that but it isnt right is it ?and how many more people ,have decided its all to much hassle ?and have we all got time to mess around like this ?I have many people on my alerts and if I read a journal ,I feel it needs a comment ,I feel if someone has taken the time to post its only fair to acknowledge them I refuse to be a lurker ,but my word hasnt it become time consuming ,time as I say ,we havent all got .....right end of whinge .....

 Tomorrow ,I plan to meet up with my sister Jean ,at Ferry Meadows in Peterborough an open park land ,in P/boro where many open air activities take place ,The company I used to work for have arranged an open day for tenants  their family and friends ,The highlight I think will be a visit,from the Sealed knot Society ,who are to set up a village on site and an enactment of the civil war is to take place ,so watch this space ....there is to be five a side football ,(we cant get away from footie can we ?)A visit from the firebrigade ,face painting ,a jewellery stall ,those are the things I remember ,if you think back I told you I had been to the meeting when we organised it ,cant believe how quickly its come round ,Its July tomorrow, Ooo slow down ,....wait for meee!  The weather forecast is good and I bought a new skirt ,did you see it in the picture?......So my friends I will go and make my self something to eat ....With Love and have a good weekend everyone

                          

 

Whats in a name ?

A rose by any other name, would smell as sweet ........

What is in a name ? I was reading Lyn's journal UK GALhttp://journals.aol.com/ukgal36/Britsblog/entries/1597/A, Yesterday,and she was talking about names ....it set me thinking

My late husbands name was actually Leonard Michael,he was his parents eighth child so they must have used up many favourite names before Mick appeared,the story according to my late dear mother in law was ,as follows ,They had decided one of the new babys names should be Michael ,but Dad was told as he set off to register the new baby, that he could choose the second name,as he sat in the office waiting to fill in the form the registrar asked him is there a second name,looks out the window and on the corner of the wall out side he read Leonard Street ,so Mick was officially Leonard Michael,he hated it ,and was always known as Mick ,to everyone except his Mum who always called Michael .

And then my name ...Janet Althea ,which I dont mind, but when people ask what the A stands for are usually a bit dumb struck  when I tell them ....so we decided when our first born son was born ,one simple name was the way we wanted it ,so we had Mark ,our second son is called Derek two very simple but masculine names that ,suited them as little ones and suits them now as men ,When I gave birth to a little girl ,I was so delighted , I must have forgotten our rule ...Mick wanted Jayne,remember Jayne Mansfield?(I wasnt about to indulge his fantacy lol ) So our little girl was called Sharon Jayne ,four years later ,I had another dear little girl ,and we called her Catherine,back to the one name rule again ! but figured Catherine was a big enough name for a little person .....

All went well until Catherine was about four ,she wanted to know why her sister had two names and her only one ,with result she was told to go away ,and think about a second one for her self ...in due course she informed us her second name was to be 'Rhubarb',and it stuck ,she had all combinations of that... Catherine Rhubarb ,sometimes Ruby !

Now she is known as Kate ! I once rang her place of work ,and asked to speak to Catherine and was told ,sorry no one with that name works here ...her e-mail address is however Rhubarb !

And while we are on the subject of names ,a few come to mind ,as a little boy Mark called his buttons ~bobboes ! and I forget who it was requested a gin gin biscuit (when they wanted a ginger one ),but needless to say it stuck ,Iwonder what your family names are ,Iwould be interested to hear .....With love from Jan  xx

More Birthdays

I love this applique graphic ,made by Donna who also made the lovely sewing machine in my sidebar, which is my all time favourite .

Yesterday, was my dear second Grandson Stuarts twenty first birthday,I know you have seen the pictures before ,its just to let you see who I mean ! I should have done this entry yesterday,in fact I tried but as you know there was an out- R- age ! so passing quickly on ,Stuart didnt go in to work ,not because he was celebrating ,the poor boy/man had a migraine,but is feeling better today ,Congratulations and Happy Birthday Stuart ,love always xxxGran or as he used to call me when he wanted something 'Granmate ',now twelve years ago,on Stuarts birthday,not only were we celebrating his  birthday,we had a new Baby girl ,a little girl after six Grandsons ,can you imagine it,Yes yesterday, was also Charlottes birthday,she was born on her brothers birthday ,and whilst her Mum my daughter Sharon was in hospital having her ,I was at home looking after her three  big brothers . Iain, Stuart and Paul I have vivid memorys of that night ,it was so exciting sleeping at Grannys house, all together ,far too exciting wasting it by sleeping !!Huh ! I went to see Sharon when Dad took over the boys and Sharon cryed at me ,whats the matter says I ,I wasnt there to see my little boy open his presents and cards this morning she said ,well you were a bit busy ! and we couldnt make him wait ! of course we laugh at that memory now ,(he got roller skates that year )and a baby sister .A little girl can you imagine ?Iwent out and bought the prettiest dress I could find ,and Sharon has it still,So happy Birthday to you too my dearest lovely Charlotte  twelve today (going on thirty),a teenager next year Oo er  !   Have a lovely evening every one with love ....Jan xxxxx

  Thank you Donna for yet another appropriate graphic

The Queens lost handbag

Hello again Everyone ,Did you watch the match? England beat Ecuador 1 -0 .We watched it ...well some of us did!..... I was sitting at the computer,and Maurice kept drawing my attention to it ....Ooh look Jan ..look,so I did ! and saw the goal,and then I saw it again,David Beckham is a clever fellow,I saw him score that goal from every angle......about six times but he actually only  scored once !

We kept the TV  on and after the football match.Was 'The Childrens Party at the Palace ',it was a celebration of childrens books,the shows highlights included a specially written play called 'Who has stolen the the Queens handbag?'and featured more than 80 classic literary characters,Thomas the Tank engine ,came in with Sophie Dahl,whose Granfather Roal Dahl had written The Big Friendly Giant,for her ,The Blue Peter team were ,The famous five complete with Timmy the dog ,Enid Blyton was well represented with Noddy and friends ,there was Alice in wonderland and all the characters ,Beatrix Potter characters ,Robin Hood,PeterPan ,Cruella DeVille was on the trail of some corgis !....and so many others,The theme running through was to find the royal handbag, because it contained Her Majestys glasses ,without which she couldnt read her speech (cant help thinking if she'd gone to spec savers they would have given her a spare pair ,but then there wouldnt have been this lovely story! ) The programme Crimestoppers got involved and the handbag was found,The Queen and Duke came onto the stage and was presented with her handbag by Tracy Beaker ,The Queen opened up her bag,pulled out her specs held them up in the air with a cheeky grin , (playing along ,just as a good Granny does ?)Then went on to thank everyone for a lovely Birthday performance ,and point out to the children,what a wealth of enjoyment knowledge etc was to be gained from reading ,and God Bless her do so agree .

All this took place in the palace grounds and they were blessed with a lovely day ,There were thousands (well it seemed like it )of Children and their familys and it was obvious they had enjoyed them selves ,They ended singing Happy Birthday to you ,to her Majesty with such gusto....I hope this entry works I took the pictures off the television.........With Lots of Love and

                                               Jan xx

A Warm Summer Sunday

 Sorry its a' link to entry 'posting again ,because its wide !!

I hope everyone is having a good day ,the weather here is extremely pleasant ,its not too hot ,but warm enough to shed the old cardi'We went into Huntingdon yesterday,which was nice I bought a couple of nice knitting patterns ,wouldnt allow myself to buy the wool ,until the present project is complete ! as we passed by the market ,we heard the vendor calling 'Strawberrys ! two punnets £1.80p'....Hmm we'll get some on the way back ,we did! by then it was two punnetts a £1 ! After tea ,Glen came round we  had a  companiable  evening chatting ,and enjoyed a big bowl of strawberrys and cream .....Glen was watching me dragging my new mouse around ,it was never really a success , I've got a wireless controlled one I dont use he said ,shall we try it ,well he did and its excellent .....

When I was a young girl,I suppose about twelve,maybe even younger ,I sang in the church choir ,so went on the choir outing to Skegness in Lincolnshire  each year ,Skegness is a seaside town ,how grown up we felt, going on a bus trip without our parents ,on the way there we would invariably stop at Boston ,and go and visit the church , its known as the  Boston stump ,and from the the tower you can see for miles especially on a clear day ,and we would climb the steps inside the tower and then walk around the out side ,viewing the country side for miles.Thinking back it was a big adventure ,but I couldnt do it now if my life depended on it !

I scanned this from a book Jean ,or rather Pete lent me , 'MiniStorys from the fens',I told her she couldnt have it back yet as there are some items I'd like to share with you ,and she agreed....well I think its time a made another coffee for me ,tea for Maurice, and take them and my knitting into the garden ,I hope you are all having an equally relaxing day ,With Love From  

                                              

P.O.E.T.S. Day !

Yes  blue jeans ,means no white shirts, which means no ironing ...Maurice has gone to work tonight and is off then  until next Tueday evening ,so we get a whole week end together ,the weather man,is promising better weather for the next few days ,although I have been wearing some of the skirts you might remember,I made last year ,with tee shirts ,I have needed a cardigan , summer came and it went ,so I shall be pleased if it got a little bit warmer ,we have had no rain though ,quite often its looked cloudy ,but alas no rain so I have had to continue to water the garden ....

Oh if you have read this far and this entry is wide ,scroll down to the bottom of this entry ,and click onto "Link to this entry "....it will take you back to the beggining,but at least you can read without getting what Joan calls 'tennis neck '! Joe from Magic smoke is explaining why this happens ,something to do with pictures being too wide or the text ,is wrong ! I have to go back and digest just what he is saying ...talking of digesting ,Cadburys are having to recall some brands of their chocolate ,due to where some of it is made ,has had a leak in a water pipe that is infected with salmonella ,this is as a  precaution  only  I understand. So I suppose the  big bar of Galaxy ,I bought today,and planned to nibble on tonight ,will be ok,as I curl up with my knitting and watch Taggart ,the Taggert is a repeat but prefarable to football,Oh  and I might as  well'fess' up to buying a packet of Wagon wheels too ,but they cant be fattening either ,because they are so much smaller than they used to be or is that my imagination?....So have a good week end every one with love from

                                          Donna I love this siggy.

Royal Ascot ,or home with my knitting ?

Donna 's designs often grace my journals ,Donna can be found in my side bar,do visit her for a treat  ,  I love this new one ,she calls it Royalty house ...isnt it lovely ,look at the reflections in the water .. ..Talking of Royalty ,I have been tuning in to Royal Ascot on the TV the last couple of days ...I love to look at the fashions of the ladies at this famous race meeting and not least the Queen,yesterday she looked lovely in sea green ,today she wore a yellow coat and hat ,the commentater was saying ,the queen doesnt specify an outfit is for a particular occasion  ,she works with her designer with a whole lot of out fits  ..she must be up all night deciding what to wear tomorrow ....Do you think ?,and then if its not quite right ,does she chuck it on the chair and try something else... do you think ?There is however a royal protacol

Royal Enclosure Dress Code
Ladies are required to dress in a manner appropriate for a formal occasion. This means that: a hat must be worn; strapless dresses are not permitted; midriffs must be covered; and trouser suits, of full length, must be of matching material and colour. Gentlemen are required to wear either black or grey morning dress, including a waistcoat, with a top hat. Overseas visitors are welcome to wear the formal national dress of their country or Service Dress. Please note those not complying with the dress code will be asked to leave the Royal Enclosure. Children, Girls must wear a dress or skirt, Boys a suit or jacket and smart trousers with a tie. Jeans and trainers are not permissable.

What is the top picture all about ,I have just started to knit a gillett,and it occured to me ,I wonder how many of you dont knit anymore because ,the steel needles hurt your arthriticfingers ,I have discovered bamboo needles , they are so much more easy on the fingers .Well I guess thats it for today ,Maurice has gone of to work ,I'm going to make a cauliflower cheese for my dinner/supper ,and then get on with my knitting ...With Love

                        

Dianna made this Siggy ,Will it do for Ascot...do you think ?Thankyou Dianna

The Mid summer Solstice

Good afternoon ,on this longest day of the year ,The Midsummer soltice ,so that means the nights will begin to get dark a little bit earlier each night ,so tell me where has this year gone ?Is it really six months since Christmas ?when Iwas reading all your lovely journals and was so envoius of those of you putting lovely graphics on them !I made it my new year resolution to learn to do it myself .....and as its six months since Christmas ,it is also six months till the next one ...Ouch

Well England drew last night ,I dont know ,why I'm telling you this, because those of you that enjoy football ,already know !      I am looking forward to watching a programme tonight that is part of a series of four,the second part tonight is on BBC2  at nine o clock .Four women suffering a variety of personal crises  leave their everyday excistence behind ,to live as  nuns at the conventof the Poor Clares  in Arundel,they give up material possessions and normal routines for fourty days and nights,in a bid to learn whether the traditional values and practises of the sisterhood including seven services a day,can help them find a purpose to their existance,some of them struggled with the regime but some took to it  straight away,The nuns themselves made some interesting observations too ,'different shoes with each outfit' ! so its certainly a two way experiance ........Have a good day everyone ,With Love

Jan xx

A day out on a Monday

An early entry yesterday and a later one  today ,I went out yesterday ,so  have spent all morning catching up on your journals ,I cant seem to settle to my own journal until I have cleared all the emails .Which has been quite pleasant sitting here in the lounge with the patio door open ,and the sunshine streaming in ,not too hot, very comfotable ,I caught the bus to Peterborough ,with my pentioners pass it cost a pound for a single ,the driver told me it wouldnt cost anything, if Igot off at Ponders Bridge......I asked him why would I get off there  ?dear little village but nothing there ! ,his reply 'quite' thats as far as the free pass goes for pentioners ,then we are into another area ,crazy or what ?I sat on the bus idly aware that I should be taking pictures of the very picturesque poppys bordering fields of ripening crops,but sorry I didnt I just sat enjoying the ride ,which takes threequarters of an hour .....I arrived in Peterborough , I browsed ,I window shopped ,bought a few bits of nothing much ,made my way to Asda ,bought a few bits in there ,then got a Taxi to Kates house had a lovely afternoon with her ,looking at her holiday pictures of them all in Alcudia ,and hearing all their holiday storys ,we popped down to see Sharon ,who now she has given up the pub ,has now taken on the job of assistant steward at the working mans club ,so she was getting ready to go to work,still nice to see her ,she doesnt like her picture taken ,but I took it anyway ...Kates Matthew meanwhile was keen to show me his new tee shirt ,and tell me all about going scuba diving ,whilst on holiday ,Maurice arrived from work,we called in at Jean and Petes on the way home..... Maurice and Pete are exploring the archives ,Petes maternal Grandfather ,was a Harley and they think they have found a link with the Harley Davidson motor bike ,so as Maurice had gleaned some more information ,he wanted to pass it on to Pete .......So that was my day ,How did I find time to work full time ? Have a lovely day everyone

Too nice to use just once Ally and Lynn xx

I remember ,I remember, the house where I was born

A great entry for me this one ....so pull up a chair pour out the coffee.....as you know on Saturday ,Maurice and I drove over to Peterborough to Jean and Petes ,We all set off for Northampton,for cousin Alans birthday party,Pete driving ,the men in the front of the car chatting away ,Jean and I in the back ,leaving them standing in the chatting game nineteen to the dozen comes to mind ! It was a lovely drive through our home county Northants ,a differant terrain to the flat reaching fen lands ...The place we actually went to was about three miles from Althorpe ,where we had been a few years before to see the lovely memorial to Princess Dianna at the home of her brother..Charles Spencer , (cant remember if he's an Earl or a lord ! )Earl I think ....Well you know we had a woderful time ...on the way home Pete came off the motorway and took the scenic route ,through all the narrow roads ,all little villages where I had lots of friends, and cycled along ,the wide verge where I had parked my baby sister ,Jean ,when my friend and I went for a paddle....and then on to Kingscliffe where we were born ,We stopped for a while so we could have a little wander ,The church where we were married ,Jean and I were dashing hither and thither ,The men strolled ....Dads barber shop .now very tastefully done up as a house,the cross where we used to meet our friends and wait for phone calls from  boyfriends....and then The house ,the house where Jean and I were born ,our brother John for some reason was born in hospital...and the 'house opposite that used to be a chemist shop cum library ,cum general store and at Christmas time the right hand window would be full of toys ,and I could see it all from my house ....yes we had a really lovely time at the party .but for me this part of the trip was so special ,I'm hugging it to my heart ,thanks so much Pete ,you are and have always been' a gud un '     with love and

Have a lovely day everyone....

A musical Birthday

Alans Mum ,Aunty Nell, was my Dads  big sister ,and although our Granny had ten children it seems it is our two familys that have stayed in touch ,not by design thats just the way it has happened ,Aunty Nell and Uncle Reg had two boys and a girl ,whilst my Mum and Dad had two girls and a boy ,Roy ,Alan and Doff (Dorothy)Sadly dear Doff died three years ago ,Oh how I missed her yesterday,she was the one who answered all my teenage questions ! we were such good friends and she used to tell me family gossip that I was too young to know about ...she had the most infectious laugh ,yes I did miss her yesterday ,but her son David and daughter Marion were there and Marion is every bit as lovely as my lovely cousin ,and so much like her Mum ,I nearly called her Doff a couple of times,Sometimes in David I saw our Uncle and also abit of my lovely Dad ...That side of the family are very musical they got it from their Dads side of the family ,and kept us very well entertained thoughout the whole day ,Richard ,Alans son is very versatile he plays so many instruments,his latest being the Theramin ,have you seen one of these played ,his fingers appeared to be in mid air but are near a circle and a post ,not a good discription ,you have to see it and hear it to understand ,he dressed up for that number ,and was a wow ! there was no need for party peices from us! Roy and Alan and their children and grandchildren kept us entertained the whole time Roy a brilliant organist ,played but not for too long ,he's recently had the lower part of his leg removed ,and was annoyed he couldnt work the pedals the same ,but He and Alan performed a duet their Gran had taught them .Alan sang and spoke some Michael Flanders and Donald Swann numbers,for our enjoyment and George Formby numbers were Performed by Richard and Roys son in law Peter. Barbara a very able pianist and Alans neighbour accompanied Alan and also many other songs for us to join in with .We enjoyed a lovely sit down meal ,at the International suite of the Sturtridge pavilion,home of the 'Saints' RugbyClub.so we had a really lovely day ,We came home via our Home village ,But I will tell you all about that another day ,Have a lovely day everyone, and to fathers where ever you are ,We love you and give thanks

  

 Donna called this one Garden Memory ,it seemed so appropriate today .....

Posh frocks tomorrow

Allan

I probably wont do an entry tomorrow,Jean and Pete,Maurice and I are off to Northampton,to our cousin Allan's seventieth birthday party ,really cant believe he's seventy ,he is no different now to the boy cousin he was in our teen years when he was always teasing me and my sister Jean ......

 Maurice is home after his nights work ,they have had multi problems at work which ,hopefully he has now resolved ,but he has been trying to sleep,and cant ,he cant wind down ..its like that sometimes ,never mind nothing in particular planned for today so he can  just chill .

After he went last evening ,I was busy going through my summer wardrobe,filled trusty trolley with stuff for the charity shop ,I have to admit to having the football on ,and being pleased when England scored...Ithen selttled down to watch my DVD,'Memoirs of a Geisha' thoroughly enjoyed it would recommend it as a hauntingly Beautiful film ,with some lovely music, it was directed by Steven Speilberg ,so that says it all !

Getting back to tomorrow(thats an argument in terms !!)  re Allans party, Emails have been going to and fro ,about the venue, parking etc,and I quote...Everyone(nearly)will be singing a song,telling a tale,or something and ,guess what,you are invited to participate,dont worry its nearly all family ,so you will know plenty of people.Dont worry.I wouldnt put you on the spot(or would I!!!)  Yes he Tuddy well would  ! Talking to Jean about it ,I said ,to her I would announce that Id sing 'Land of Hope and Glory'...knowing they'd grown and sat" NO "!!,so I'd apologise and sit down !! ...'no we wouldnt',she said with a chuckle ,' we'd let you sing it '!  so that idea is out ....

I got ,done for shoplifting ! It was like this, I was in John Lewis ,department store in local shopping centre ,Id broken my tail comb ,so found what I wanted ,remembered I also needed some blusher ,so made my way to the cosmetics department which is near the door ,happened to look out and thought I saw some one I knew ,as it happened it wasnt !But nearly jumped out of my skin when a blooming great hand ,grabbed my shoulder !Excuse me madam ,we believe youve got goods you havent paid for ,I tried to explain ,but no, this gorilla in security mans clothes wasnt having it !I was escorted to the managers office ,where this man told the manager his tale ,no one was listening to me ,then as they locked me into a little room off the managers office the words police were ringing in my ears ,oh my God ,what will work say! its bound to be in the Evening Telegraph ,whats the neighbours going to think ,and my family !and Maurices family ,and Maurice OH he will kill me ,I did some quick thinking ,looked around the room ,there was some racks with files  a couple of chairs,and a desk ,there was a window leading out onto a fire escape,just then I heard voices ,I made a decision , The window ,it was stiff,but I managed to get it open ,and Id straddled the window sill when into the room burst,a police man ,the manager,and the gorilla ,well there I was half in and half out of the window ,with this Tuddy great gorilla pulling my leg ,just like Im pulling yours.

Apologies to those of you that know this joke,but if push comes to shove and I'm really obliged to come up with a party piece ,I have always got this one ,So if I dont get to make an entry tomorrow have a lovely weekend everyone ........ 

                                Thankyou Donna for todays graphics .                                               

A Football Free Zone

No prizes for guessing what I will be doing tonight ?Maurice has to work an additional shift ,someone has rung in sick ,Hmmm ! No doubt questions will be asked ! a memo had been circulated ,with the message that nothing short of a death certificate,would excuse them from being off  ,today/night ....(Perhaps I exaggerate,a little bit )Well as soon as the video shop opened I rang them up to see if they had 'Memoirs of a Geisha',I have been waiting for it to come out on general release.Once I've seen the film I shall search out the book too.,it was reviewed on Richard and Judy and really made me want to read it,I find if Iwatch a film after reading the book it spoils how I see the characters in my imagination ....so on this occasion Im doing it this way round ...Yes they have the film ,so I shall curl up and watch it tonight whilst nearly everyone else is watching the match ,Of course I do hope our boys win ...But I am confident they will do their best or worst without any input from me .So on that happy note .Ill take my leave ....whatever you do this evening I hope its enjoyable,With Love and   

                                                          Jan xx

If at first you dont succeed...give up !

I must apologise for the messy way this entry has been presented ,What started out as a lovely idea  has turned into an abysmal failure ......I put all these pictures on here last night ,only to be told the picture adding facility wasnt available!,so I did instead ,my rather sarcastic ,facetious entry ! So in good faith and good spirits I started again this morning .....I got nearly finished adding the captions to the pictures ,when a box came up telling me I was out of time !!Well I do beg your pardon ,I am after all only a 'silver surfer ',maybe not as quick as I ought to be !.............So here ladies and gentleman are the pictures I promised and because I was so long adding captions ,I had them removed....So I have scanned the programme for you ....I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them ,in the lovely cool sweet smelling church .....I am going now before I say too much ,With lots of love

 Thankyou Dianna for the lovely siggyxx

Change of plan/entry !

 

Another nice day again ,it rained as near as seven miles away,last night ,in fact I understand the there was thunder and lightening and torrential rain,and I think we may have had a tablespoonful !

                   'Wot no rain?'

Do you remember Chad ? I had a lovely entry lined up for tonight, I went to the Church this morning armed with my camara,Today was the last day of the flower festival...this years theme is "The proms' in flowers" I took lots of pictures ,of the beautiful flower arrangements,the imagination and artistry ,had to be seen to be appreciated ,the smell of the blooms inside the church was lovely....

               ' Wot no pictures?'

Ah, well maybe we will get our picture adding facility back ! Do you think ?AOL have been doing some thing that is going to make things better ! "If its not broken, dont fix it I say ",anyway as you will see, as we used to, I have filled the oil lamp ready for emergencies.....  ,I kept this  entry short ,You know why !...........

                        'Wot no alert!'

Its raining here now ,so I wont have to water the garden tonight ,So I will wish you all a peaceful evening and ,go and feed the dog and tuck into my pasta bake whilst   watching  Midsomer murders ...with love from  Jan xx