Remember me ?

This lovely graphic made by Donna reminds me of the mystery trip I went on recently with my 'over sixties' club,we went all around the Fens and the tour guide on the coach was our old friend Ernie who is a mine of imformation ,wherever we go, he can tell us some interestings facts and points out places of historical interest ,of which the Fens are famous .

Sorry I havent been around much lately ,no excuse I still have the same amount of time I always had...in between ,Residents meetings,Resident newsletter meetings ,over sixties and visits to and from family ,Though I have to admit, I do forget to go to my dashboard to see who has posted ,I was much better when I got an alert ,I would comment ,then I think I was more motivated to do my entry .......

Talking of visits from Family ,My Grandson Paul ,brought a dear little visitor to see me the other week ,Remember Keira ,she is Pauls ex's, daughter ,and Paul keeps in touch and loves her as his own .She is a little charmer ,here she is in the garden on the swing .....

And here with Granny Jan .....

Our Kate had another Birthday in May ,here we are with Charlotte, who came around to see her Aunty Kate while we were there ,

And here is Sharon my other Daughter ,who is mine host (Land Lady) of the pub just up the road from where Kate lives ,you will notice its tea for Sharon and coffee for me ,Maurice has been known to partake of the odd Guinness !

Happy Birthday Kate May 16th...

This is a picture of me with my two other lovely 'sons'Sharon's Colin and Kate's Martin.

Here we are setting off to see the family ,Do you like our new car ? The Shogun ,was getting so that it needed some costly repairs so we have gone for a smaller car ,that consumes alot less petrol ,thus making our carbon footprint smaller ,and being alot easier on the pocket .
And here I am getting ready to go to a residents meeting ,posing beside my candlewicking embroidery of hot air balloons that is at last nearly done ,

AND the exciting part ,is that a week on Sunday we are to have another party in the park for all the members of my late husbands family ,who can make it ,remember last year we were nearly a hundred strong ,with children and grandchildren great grandchildren ,inlaws, out laws and who ever ,so I am really looking forward to that, and meeting up with everyone again ,Just hope the sun shines ,

So there we are, thats me all up to date again ,Im not going to promise to post more often because ...well ya know hee hee

Lots of love to you all

Grosgrain: Blueberry Pie Refashion Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain: Blueberry Pie Refashion Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Silver Surfers Day

Hello Everyone I hope you are all well ,I am.... 'I think '? never does to be too sure of one self does it ,Well here in the UK ,it is Silver Surfers day ,don't know about elsewhere ,And so I decided to write a comment as was asked for ,and duly sent it off .,and thought I would share it with you ,I am also adding the pictures that appeared on the AOL welcome page ,when they were promoting older bloggers ,back in the days when AOL liked us journallers ,Thankyou Google for rescueing us ... So folks here it is ~~

I am so pleased my Mother taught me not to point ,thus saving

my index finger you all the reams I have typed on the 'net' I cant type you see !!But have the fastest index finger in the East! This is my fourth year,on the net,though I had used a computer at work, and... I 'coped'! When I retired four years ago I went on line and well my life changed ,a whole new world opened up ,I am with AOL so I started a journal,called Seredipity which was hugely succesful,I was featured on the AOL welcome page as a Granny of nine ,who loved to BLOG (web log )I also won 'Lady of the blog', the competion was really quite fierce I was so proud ,run by some bloggers in the USA .AOL closed down the journals last September ,but thanks to Google we were able to migrate our journals over to Blogspot . I am on the Editorial group of our Residents news letter and have had a number of items published there ,so my Inclusion Manager ,at the company entered me in the Silver Surfers comp ,I didnt win but Karen and I had a wonderful day in London ,at Portcullis House ,where we met some like minded people, a charming Chelsea Pentioner ,and of course the winners . I am vice chair on Axiom Residents Forum ..A.R.F.so the internet is invaluable to me ,to keep in touch with the other officers ,committee, Axiom Staff (Axiom housing Association)and most importantly the residents . I joined Freinds Reunited ,some time ago ,and recently a second cousin found me how exciting that was ,we now swap pictures and family stories , from years gone by.I am an avid reader so can look up my favourite Authors ,and learn when the next book is due ,I knit sew ,patchwork and quilting so have benefited from the many craft sites available ,my recent interest is Candlewicking ,and I have bought some kits on Ebay .I also have a trivia quiz on line ,called Jan's brain jerk ,and should you go to the side bar on my blog you will see I have many readers all around the world ,and I have made some really amazing friends ,we exchange Christmas and Birthday,cards .So yes If I were to lose my internet I would be bereaved!Though I might then get the ironing done .

..Of course many of you will remember all this ,so if I am repeating myself I am sorry . As ever lots of love ,from

Oh Dear ! ,,,where to start ?

Thats the problem when you don't post as often ,where to start ? So much has been happening lately,some happy ,some exciting ,and some horribly heartbreaking ........I think I will just charge in .....
Here in this picture with me, is my Eldest Grandson Iain on his twenty sixth birthday on April 21st ,and since he had some shore leave ,he was managing his Mum (my daughter Sharon's) pub whilst she was having a well earned holiday in Grand Canaria ,Maurice and I popped in to visit him ,and to take him a nice big chocolate cake .

Well that was the' Happy '

Now the' devastating '

It was April ,when we learned of the death, in a house fire ,of a dear old friend Rod ,who I had known all my adult life ,what a lovely man Rod was ,It might be a cliche, but I dont think Rod had an enemy in the world ,and our prayers are with his son and two daughters .

Then on April 9th ,we were absolutely devasted to hear that David who had been working away from home ,but was due to return on Maunday Thursday to his partner and their baby son,for Easter ,was killed in a road crash ...we were all so shocked and heartbroken as you will imagine David was a week older than my second Grandson Stuart ,and they had grown up together Stuart called him' my brother from another Mother' At the funeral Stuart and other friends of David's carried his coffin , I could well remember them all as little boys ,all bursting out of school together .So you will guess how I felt watching them carry him.......

David and Stuart taken at Stuarts wedding ,two years ago .

And now the exciting ...

When I went on line back in 2005 ,like many of you I signed up with Friends Reunited ,putting my details ,where I went to school etc ,Imagine my delight last Autumn when I got a message saying this lady thought she knew me and had a picture of my sister Jean and I naturally I responded ,but didnt hear any more for a while ,THEN .......

I received this picture yes it's Jean and me ! I didnt know of it's existance much less remember it being taken ,The Lady went on to explain ,she used to spend time with her Granny in Kings Cliffe ,and that her Grannie who I knew as Aunt Florrie was my Grandads younger sister ,Now Pam and I email and speak on the phone , swapping memorys ,dusting down a few family skeletons it has been really exciting ,I have been able to send her some pictures too ,she then sent this one .she described it as me sitting on a rounded sort of wall...when I saw it I exclaimed 'The Basin'! a place I had completely forgotten about,I assumed it was an old swimming pool ,so rang my Brother John who still lives in the village and he told me it was where water was stored when controlling the Mill Dam ,that ran in the field at the back of the Church (a favourite walk for us children then ) John said people did swim there ,but we werent allowed ,and that it is still there ,so that is on our to do list of places to visit and take pictures .

We always had this picture in the family ,because my Dad is the little boy with the blond curls

Pam sent this one ,we think it is my Granny and Grandad ,taken with their older children before Grandad went of to fight in the First World War .Pam was prompted to send it because I had said, I remembered a picture of a soldier wearing puttys ...

Its a lovely spring day here ,as I hope it is with you......... so have a Blessed Sunday everyone with love from

There is no 'Green Hill' in the Fens ...

All , This Easter tide ......


So sorry I haven't been around much of late ,for many and varied reasons ,but I felt I had to make an entry on this Easter day ,I will endevour to make an effort to join you all again more often ...Maurice and I went over to Peterborough yesterday to see the family ,bearing Easter cards etc ,On our way home Maurice said look ,and there in a remote field out here in the Fens we spied ,the three crosses ,Maurice turned the car around so that I could get out and take the following pictures ...Hence my title today ,I just had to share them with you ,the starkness is some how ..poignant isnt it ?

Last Monday,I went to the co-op ,for some after the weekend shopping ,I always take my trolley now since my back went on me recently ,I dont attempt to carry anything anymore ,Up the road opposite me as I came away from the store I saw alot of people ,and being me 'nosy' stopped to see what was happening ,Imagine my feelings when as they came closer ,I saw it was the pilgrims on their way to Walsingham carrying the Cross ,I think I told you last year they leave a small cross as they enter a town or village as they pass through ,on the verge at the side of the road ,I hadnt got my camera ,and was tempted to walk a little way with them ,but didnt feel it would be quite right ,with my shopping trolly !!Any way the next day in the local paper I found this picture of the Pilgrims ,so I scanned it to share with you all

A couple of weeks ago Maurice and I went to Spalding in Lincolnshire ,they have an outletpark Called Springfields ,with lots of nice shops with bargains ,Marks and Spencer and Clarks being a couple of favourites ,Lincolnshire being famous for bulb growing ,though saddly not as much now as it once was ,we passed lots of fields of Daffodils ,so of course I took a picture !

As I said ,I will be back soon, meanwhile enjoy what is left of the weekend .....

And as usual.. love from

Do something funny for money

Yesterday was Friday the 13th ,its the second one we have had this year ,and I believe another on is due in November !

Yesterday also marked the 21st aniversary of comic relief day here in Britain,where everyone ,dresses up ,wears a red nose or does something funny for money ,and the collecting boxes are every where for us to make our donations ,or we can donate on line or by phone ,Last evening on BBC TV ,was given over to all the celebraties,who had taken part ,who had given their time and talents ,(some great acts) such caring people .The whole idea is to raise money for many causes mainly children ie - kids who are full time cares to their parents or siblings ,and who are missing out on a normal childhood ,a child support centre for kids who are living in difficult situations like with a drunk parent ,and for children who have such difficult lives abroad , The item that really moved me ,and there were many such moments ,was the film of some of the celebs visiting Africa ,and seeing the amount of children who were dying from Malaria ,simply because they dont sleep under nets ,which cost aprox £5 each !well a team of heroic caring talented on and on ...Bless them .people from the music world
Chris Moyles and Fearne Cotton were joined by Cheryl Cole, Kimberley Walsh, Alesha Dixon, Ben Shepherd, Ronan Keating, Denise Van Outen and Gary Barlow, whose idea it originaly was .
They walked for seven days to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money for Comic Relief ,it was anounced they had been sponsered to the tune of 3 million pounds ,what an achievement ,and the film showing them on their ardous climb showed just how hard it was ,and though some of them got sick during the climb they carried on ,because they said they kept a picture of these poor sick children in their minds to spur them on .What they and the other famous people did was admirable God Bless them all .

And then on the other hand ordinary folk did their bit too ,we at the Residents forum had a committee meeting sheduled for yesterday ,so we all wore some thing red ,and of course popped our money into a collecting box ,we raised quite a bit and still counting ,with the money from the people at the office .

The day before My daughter in law Chrissie brought my daughter Kate and our friend Dawn over for a visit ,we had a nice day together ,I bought a red hat from the charity shop !!!!,so with my red tee shirt,shoes and bag ,(black trousers and jumper ) I was set hee hee ......

Of course every one wanted to wear it ,especially the men ? I mean look at Howard, doesn't he look great ?

Sitting beside Howard ,is Elsa ,who said she had nothing red to wear ,so she made us a big box of red nose cakes ,and they all dissapeared and were yummy

Here's Suzy ,showing her red stripey belly ...

Ray red tie .George red tee shirt ,red october I think it was hee hee ..

I told you they all wanted to wear the hat ,here is Dick ,who works with the youngsters

So my friends, I will leave it here ,but not before telling you ,that the Head lines read-- Recession fails to dampen comic relief ,at 2am last night ,the total stood at a record breaking £57.8 million pounds ,with love from Jan in GREAT Britain

Bog Oaks and other bog standard stuff

Lovely sunny Sunday morning here in the Fens,thats if you are indoors looking out !it is very windy and cold ,I think the wind is blowing straight from the North Sea ,and being the Fens nothing much to stop it ,March winds doth blow and we shall have sn .....NO dont even go there !
Last Tuesday I went along to the News letter meeting ,as you know I am on the editorial team ,I wore my new red jacket that Maurice had bought me for my Birthday ,(as well as the Laptop)!

I also wore the yellow jumper I had made, and had finished the previous evening ,do you like it ,I made it quite long to keep my back warm !

I had missed the previous meeting (because I was incapasitated with my back )and in the main the news letter was complete ,but they were just a bit of copy short ,so I was asked to do something ,below is the result ,The first picture goes with the item ,the others we took whilst out ,

Spring 2009 Bog Oaks .
There has been a lot in the media recently about the amount of ‘Bog Oaks’ that have come to the surface this year, as our Farmers have been ploughing the fields ready for spring planting,
And naturalists and farmers across Cambridgeshire believe more will continue to be discovered as the Fenland soil continues to dry out.
The trees were once part of a thick blanket of Oak forests, but couldn’t survive the floods which resulted from large lakes formed when the rivers Ouse, Nene and Welland began to silt up with tidal sands. The Oaks couldn’t survive with their roots soaked in water, as they began to rot; they either toppled over or were blown over by the infamous Fen blows, with result many of the trees trunks were found facing in the same direction. Over the years reeds and other dead plant material gathered on top of the wood to form a peat.
This acted as a natural preservative over the trees, because there was no oxygen to rot the wood.
Natural curiosity led my partner and I to look out for these old trees ,we have spotted markers in fields left by ploughmen to avoid the area and to remove these monsters at a later date, or to see fields where these great oak trunks have been
Cleared to the headlands, the one in the picture is at least twenty feet long and there were piles of others in the area. And to think I am sitting on something that last saw light of day, many thousands of years ago.

A pile of the Oaks left at the side of the field ...

Right behind the telegragh pole, is a dyke ..see it ? part of the drainage system in the Fens ,they vary in widths throughout the Fens some as wide as rivers ,and controlled by locks and sluice gates ,this one is narrow beside a field as many are .

Oh yes ,after dinner on Tuesday evening ,Maurice and I were discussing our days ,when he suddenly burst into laughter ,for no apparent reason ,when I questioned him ,he said put your arm up again ,I did so only to find I hadnt ,finished sewing up the seam on the sleeve of my jumper ,Durrr ,yes folks I losing it ! ( wonder if anyone noticed? ) hee hee

Have a Blessed Sunday Everyone ,With love from ...