tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14229876211937825912024-03-13T22:37:41.721+00:00Mother HenAn American mom living in the English countryside in an old listed property with her rooster and two chicks. The chicks are testing their teenage years on me and the rooster has a "farming" fancy now. There are three dogs, my feathered friends and a few other things wondering around the property...Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-45924793564810352042012-06-23T18:11:00.002+01:002012-06-23T18:11:47.584+01:00Things That Are The 'Last' Things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last month has been like walking on egg shells. I have tip toed around our house, moving from room to to room to avoid making noise or bothering the exam riddled children. I haven't thrown out any bit of scrap paper in case it has important learning on it. I buy pens and high lighters at every super market shop so there is no excuse of not being able to find a pen that works. I have had a constant supply of fruit squash by the kitchen sink. Snack food has been at the ready. The car has always had petrol in it in case there was a need to get to a study session or exam at a moments notice. I have sweetly encouraged sleep and gentle exercise and late at night, removed books from sleeping child's face and wiped the drool away. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am glad the last month is over.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My Chicks and I have had a month of '<i>Lasts</i>'. Last classes with favourite teachers, Last PE class,last chapel, last exam(chick girl has one more but not to study for as it is a listening exam), last time on the yellow school bus,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">last school lunch,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> last time for the summer making a school lunch, last time a will need to nag boy to go study, last time he will be only 17 and a boy, last time I will have to drive through our village at school rush hour. Last School Fees!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Books and papers have been burned. School uniforms have been trashed. The Chicks are moving on to the next step. Exams are done and now we wait. Boy has a summer of things to do. Girls has a summer of places to go. But behind it all, we wait for exam results day to see where we all go on to. Will he get a University place?? Will she get into the Upper Sixth at the closer school??</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought the last month was stressful but now we have to wait until the middle of August to get the exam results for the A Levels and the GCSE's; ugh!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-77925416257969947672012-05-24T10:27:00.001+01:002012-05-24T10:27:41.317+01:00Again With The Bees!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sorry but I am a bit excited, new hobby and all,but I have a Queen in my hive. This doesn't always happen with a swarm. Apparently Queen can fly off when she gets to the new hive and as we know, the children end up laughing in your face while rolling around on the floor in hysterics. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rlcMszJwDZ2SFCqhpcRZwKOFGSKgkWqMpa0KM8-lhsMRpsei-us7jNWdJOlyOTazEg0K8nKM7qhoyTljbGYGayWA_fb1JZib_xCk54dxL6hhDb-xgPy3BetkF7ZO5u05I_bJ-iZioAg/s1600/Cambridge-20120513-00277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rlcMszJwDZ2SFCqhpcRZwKOFGSKgkWqMpa0KM8-lhsMRpsei-us7jNWdJOlyOTazEg0K8nKM7qhoyTljbGYGayWA_fb1JZib_xCk54dxL6hhDb-xgPy3BetkF7ZO5u05I_bJ-iZioAg/s320/Cambridge-20120513-00277.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, this is not my hive though it is the photo on my home screen on my phone-</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Idyllic, yes. Well impractical for my beginner status. You have to take apart the beautiful white outer part of that hive to even get into the real workings underneath. I would get stung a million times and sweat through my suit trying to lift it all apart (it is heavy wood).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I have an easy hive and a Queen, Yah!!</span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-71677173565778680522012-05-20T12:46:00.000+01:002012-05-20T12:46:27.150+01:00Buzz Off<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So after my crazy run around with my bees last Saturday night, I went to check on the newly homed swarm the next morning. The sun was shinning and as I peeked around the corner of the field, hundreds of bees were doing their thing, buzzing by the hive. Great. I took Great Aunt off to Cambridge Botanical Gardens for a jaunt and we had a lovely time but I was itching to get back to the bees and see how they were doing. So when we got home and Aunt was happy with a book in the garden(wrapped in an extra sweater with socks on- this is May right??) I wiggled into my bee suit, lit the smoker, put on the pink wellies and strolled down to the field to check on my new friends.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little bugger pissed off, all except 10 of them who were happily lapping up the sugar syrup I had made for their arrival. I was gob smacked. They left me!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My bee buddy, Penny says that this can happen with a first hive as it smells and tastes too new and that maybe they were really heading for somewhere else to begin with when they were caught. My children thought this was hysterical, the bees buzzing off and when they finally got off the floor, realised I was a bit upset by it all and promptly shut up. Secretly I heard them laughing about it behind closed doors, little sods.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So now that Aunt has left, it has been a quiet week. Exam study leave has started so the food bill has doubled. I have been the chief taxi driver to and from schools at odd times to deposit and pick up from exams (this will go on for the next month as well, the taxi-ing). Dog classes have stopped as the trainer is on holiday. I miss running around with the dogs, it's a nice activity for me during the week. It is still chilly and I am sure I had a light tan this time last year! I hate gardening in jeans, two shirts and a sweatshirt, it's not right when it's nearly Summer. My broody hen has finally gotten off her back side and realised that the egg just won't hatch no matter how long she sits on it. She has come thru the last 30 days or so no worse for wear, a little friendlier if anything. She finally got used to me sticking my hand under her to retrieve the odd egg. The water levels in our river have gone right down again so I guess we are in a draught again, Oh well, good thing I live on a river, the dogs won't ever go thirsty.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But best of all, and I will probably jinx it now, I was at a quiz night on Friday when a friend from dog class tapped me on the shoulder. Her bees swarmed and she heard thru the grape(bee) vine that I might like some bees. I met her at her house yesterday afternoon to collect a lovely little swarm that had been hanging for two days on the lowest branches of a fir tree in her garden. We suited up, walked out, boxed them, wrapped them, put them in my car then covered them with a large bucket all in 15 minutes. Yes bees were buzzing everywhere and yes, I drove the six miles home in my bee suit with the netting on. I am sure I looked amusing but I wasn't taking any chances. My friend was stung on her lip Friday morning and by Saturday afternoon it looked like bad Botox gone wrong! I got by new bees to walk up the sheet into their new home then locked in the Queen. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, now the thermometer has finally gone over 11c so I am off to suit up and check on the bees. I will let you know if the children laugh at me again.</span>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-38052446781904353502012-05-13T09:30:00.000+01:002012-05-13T09:30:16.495+01:00It's All Go Here.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been a bit absent from blogging lately but only because life seems to be flying by and I can't catch up. It was April a few minutes ago, I'm sure of it but here it is May 13th! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our river has gone up and down like a yo-yo, leaving crap in it's wake each time. The water has left everything incredibly green around us. Trying to cut the jungle that is our lawn was back breaking and really boring.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rooster and I have escorted 248 ( 5 coaches full) nearest and dearest in and out of the Olympic park to watch Men's Field Hockey. Great day out. We didn't loose anyone which was the best result.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have had three weekends in a row of family and friends staying at our house, 11 to sleep over last weekend but 18 to feed all May Bank holiday. Rooster boy's new girl friend was one of the guests sleeping over so naturally, I spent the whole night with super sonic ears to the grind stone to discourage any wondering of the two. My fridge was so bare on Monday night that I actually had a good chance to wipe down the shelves!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This weekend it is the start of Study leave for the Chick. First GCSE exam is Monday so she is already stressed. We have the Great Aunt from Idaho staying as well so my job is to keep her out of the house by taking her to every garden in the area so the house is quiet by day. Except it is cold out! Sun is shinning </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">finally but we have had to layer up to go out. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday was manic as I took delivery of a swarm of bees. My mentor called and said our neighbours had a swarm attached to their pool cover and did I want them? My hive has been sitting in the garage waiting but I had to put everything else together pdq. Between the rooster boys' cricket game in the village and trying to get ready for lovely dinner out with family, I had to don the bee suit and introduce my new bees to their new home! I did take my heels off and put on the pink wellies to do so though. Husband was very impressed when I ran up the road in my white suit, stripped it off in the hall way only to be totally dressed up under neath and ready to go for 7:30pm sharp. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today is another garden tour then bee-sitting and hopefully 5 minutes hiding in the back garden with my face up to the sun it I can. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been keeping my 365 project going though. I wish it was as easy to blog from my phone as it is to take and send a photo everyday. I must work on that. </span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-41628439325613131312012-04-22T17:59:00.004+01:002012-04-22T17:59:58.389+01:00Real Problems<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a bad week in our house and emotions were running high but the problems that we were facing don't seem like real problems. I say this on the comment from Expat Mum about needing to stop complaining about messy bedrooms. Complain. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love those kind of problems. Messy rooms, broken pipes, cracked windscreens,exam dramas, dog chewed my homework. These really are "real" problems to the every day mom in the every day house. I like to think of myself as one of those every day moms. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When the s*it hits the fan though, I like to think I can handle it and take it in it's stride. It almost seems surreal though, drink and drugs and cries for help from one of my daughter's peers. Give me a messy bedroom any day.</span>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-62029894859841769322012-04-21T18:36:00.002+01:002012-04-21T18:36:53.989+01:00A Bump In The Road<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a mentally hard week. One of those ones that involves my children. But really, the girl Chick had the hard week mentally.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chick went to school on Tuesday as normal except in the afternoon I had a phone call from the head of the upper school. "Blah, blah, blah, your daughter is fine but witnessed something that will be upsetting for her and I feel you should be informed of the situation."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Basically, a girl friend of the Chick's who has had a particularly hard year(divorced parents, mother with drink and bi-polar issues and father not all there), came into school with alcohol and a razor. Yikes. Why is my daughter friends with this girl you ask?? Well, they have been in the same form since year 7 and been in the same friends group since then as well. The issues have only started in the last year. My Chick had been a good friend and our family liked her. Just before Christmas things changed between them. Chick tried to help with her issues but it broke the friendship up and we haven't heard from her or about her until this week. Notice the use of past tense here.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Girl, drunk, cut herself. An ambulance was called and daughter was there when she was taken away. She apparently has been cutting herself for quite some time and the drinking was not an uncommon occurrence. The girls at school were just 'laughing it off' so to speak, I think because they didn't really understand the cry for help she was asking for. But Chick has been just ignoring the girl until this week. The girl had been texting and Facebooking Chick saying she wanted to be friends again. Chick was glad about this. I think she thought maybe the girl was trying to reach out for some help and using Chick for this. That is until it all blew up at school. You bring alcohol into school and you are asking to get caught. You slice your legs or arms in school and you are asking for help.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chick spent the whole night in tears and felt sick about it all. Before bed though, she decided she wasn't going to let this be about her or effect her. She wasn't going to let it effect her studying and exams coming up.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Girls are so impressionable in their teenage years. Friends are so fickle and demanding. As parents, we want to protect our children. We want to guide them and see them safely through life. Sometimes there are bumps in the road though and we can only hope that they make it over them and not fall right down into the pot hole in the road.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think my Chick will make it over this one but it still makes me feel a bit sick.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On a lighter note, I am having a really nice time with all my bee classes. Soon I will have an apiary of my own to look after. I have painted my hive and am putting all the little bits and pieces together for it all. I have about four books that I keep reading through and have taken loads of notes. After class today, I was able to bring some old bee stuffed comb home for my chickens who thought Christmas had come early. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcHC5DhUsFrcVOr17ac0kGIJobqDK_QAeNa6vMa2W9OG9ywVkwky7eExLFJIi2ugjkVEN0fo9AS8rsvQR4l9i7HABf0NCU3yBjtEGDYM0HVHWoY-9GTaqZ6nKvqAR7A6GjCB3dTFaxW0/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcHC5DhUsFrcVOr17ac0kGIJobqDK_QAeNa6vMa2W9OG9ywVkwky7eExLFJIi2ugjkVEN0fo9AS8rsvQR4l9i7HABf0NCU3yBjtEGDYM0HVHWoY-9GTaqZ6nKvqAR7A6GjCB3dTFaxW0/s400/DSC_0042.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-3576772217027613922012-04-14T15:38:00.001+01:002012-04-14T15:38:49.318+01:00Mother Hen's a Busy Bee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4mJmHe_Z_XACMB1_uzWYgq9Zru2D_Xh5HAnRnGP8Osfb4lIqXUha310SrP9E0YqhagwV7Wn2H3e9wbwwCky9442zwPaVK3JhBEf5jgRr8AYvytOO9NKeFgRIKE_q5A4mrXVUvQ5Rl6c/s1600/IMG-20120414-00173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4mJmHe_Z_XACMB1_uzWYgq9Zru2D_Xh5HAnRnGP8Osfb4lIqXUha310SrP9E0YqhagwV7Wn2H3e9wbwwCky9442zwPaVK3JhBEf5jgRr8AYvytOO9NKeFgRIKE_q5A4mrXVUvQ5Rl6c/s320/IMG-20120414-00173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mother Hen was a very busy bee today.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I spent the morning doing hands on in an apiary learning the knitty gritty of the bee world. A few more years and I might know what I am actually talking about. There is a beehive in my hall way in about 35 pieces and a Queen and bees being grown for me to be delivered next month! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">40,000 bees make a fair bit of noise when you disturb them.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think I better learn how to use that smoker...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-80505917128225976172012-04-13T09:07:00.002+01:002012-04-13T09:07:39.387+01:00The Box<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJz6sXtLy-1Ebw0FhqZaX66jWbXXOJBbIhe3ta4_bfdr8JEjASi-ievZTcsCSM7EVb2tuWU9Ac-0pPpovDKo2RhLUiEykY9K0R_UMaUxw2qzCiwy8wH_UexJeZcpfPIjRcP8XL_r1GBo/s1600/Uttlesford-20120409-00140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJz6sXtLy-1Ebw0FhqZaX66jWbXXOJBbIhe3ta4_bfdr8JEjASi-ievZTcsCSM7EVb2tuWU9Ac-0pPpovDKo2RhLUiEykY9K0R_UMaUxw2qzCiwy8wH_UexJeZcpfPIjRcP8XL_r1GBo/s320/Uttlesford-20120409-00140.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sitting in my hall way is a large box. Actually, a very large box and in it is a bee hive. I have been looking at it for 6 days. It's closed still, taped up with things like 'fragile' and 'this side up' all over it. Now, I am the Ikea mom. I bring it home, lay it all out and put it all together with out a problem. I have yet to do this with the bee hive though. I have read the books, been to the class, flipped through the Internet but haven't opened the box yet. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It doesn't have live bees in it or anything. It has a polystyrene Deep Brood National Hive, an extra super and a beginners kit to go with it. There are instructions, I hope, to put it together, and also has my bee suit in it. But I haven't got it all out yet.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe it's a commitment thing. I've searched it out and now I have to do something about it. I have to put live bees in it and take care of them!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The strange thing is that I already have honey bees. They live and have lived in the rafters at the top of our house and have been there for 15 years. They aren't in the house and being about 60 feet up, don't bother anyone. I don't do anything with them, they just take care of themselves. Nature looks after them. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lately though, we have had an intruder bothering the bees. A Starling has invaded their home, pecked through the insulation between brick and our bedroom and is nesting in the foam insulation behind our heads! It is eating all the honey bees as well. Everyday I look up and watch the little hole they made and all I see is a bird flying in and out! Every night I hear a scratching behind my head until I stuff my ear plugs in. It is a horrible scratching noise. The dogs won't even sleep in their beds up with us anymore. It erks them as much as it does me. Rooster sleeps right through all the bloody scratching. I am sure that one day I will go upstairs and there will be a bird flying around our bedroom and there will be big hole in our lovely plastered wall! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It would be a big job to get rid of the bird and I have been advised to leave it alone, it will leave after it nests and hatches its eggs then we can rent a cherry picker for lots of ££ and block up the hole. No more birds, no more bees. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The new bees will be different. I have to look after them and not let birds eat them! It's all a lot to get my head around.</span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-75226737072032249822012-04-06T18:51:00.000+01:002012-04-06T18:51:05.057+01:00A L'Oreal moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Chick said the greatest thing to me this afternoon. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was brought on by me buying her and I new lippys by L'Oreal. Pink for me and nude for her. She said that she was really pleased that I bought her a L'Oreal lipstick because she loves the smell of it. I told her I did too but then she said that it always reminds her of me. When she was in pre-prep school, she said I always smelled like the lipstick when I hugged her every afternoon at pick up time. She says now it just makes her feel warm and loved. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks L'Oreal, how can I ever thank you enough for such a lovely moment with my daughter. </span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-81593472343672686062012-03-28T08:36:00.000+01:002012-03-28T08:36:30.201+01:00The Brick Says It All<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lin3eb7HtFH03UOykUw_k1UG8w9eV6wtgDmx1aIFI24H53V0tbThheszmERAd5NjuQDVJJaA_Dpij4v-FWz4MsyyqHENcTo4GsGm55eTzw8ivlsIMkTyJZRV0nVzoYJ1_HnkZ7NZkpE/s1600/DSC_0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lin3eb7HtFH03UOykUw_k1UG8w9eV6wtgDmx1aIFI24H53V0tbThheszmERAd5NjuQDVJJaA_Dpij4v-FWz4MsyyqHENcTo4GsGm55eTzw8ivlsIMkTyJZRV0nVzoYJ1_HnkZ7NZkpE/s320/DSC_0110.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A.BAKER 1872</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span></span><br />
<h3 class="post-title" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(206, 202, 227); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(206, 202, 227); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; color: #341473; font: normal normal normal 165%/normal Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 9px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://stickyfingers1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/gallery-extreme-close-up.html" style="color: #341473; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Gallery: Extreme Close Up</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></h3>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">has put a fun post up to do. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is my up close photo of a brick. Why a brick you say?? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About a year ago or so, an older couple, older then me but not as old as the brick, knocked on my front door and asked if they could take a picture of our house. They said they had a relative that had worked in the property a long time ago. My house is an old (1850) mill and it is not as strange a request as you might think. Sure, be my guest. Would you like to come in? I am very inviting when my house is clean as it was on that day and I love a good 'old' story about things long since past. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, they had a pretty good story. The relative was a great great grandfather, maybe uncle, they were so excited and I got a bit confused. And he had lived in the village and worked at the Mill from it's build until about 1872. Funny about that date, I said, I have a brick with that date on it sitting on my window sill. We had found it when we had a small window (wheel house then) excavated and made into a huge window (kitchen now). We kept the brick for fun. The couple took one look at it and beamed. That's him, A. Baker was here!! And his relatives were standing in my kitchen, the old wheel house. I offered them the brick to keep but they declined. They thought it should stay with the house. I thought so too but would have let them have it. I do like the brick, more now that I know why it was buried in my wall for nearly 150 years. </span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-35000593189004205102012-03-21T14:37:00.004+00:002012-03-28T09:37:35.721+01:00Colour at Sticky Fingers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUeiKRJah9DEk0_q_VUdh4PWMwcoI3Gh8VZbnyZkJY8xqFphHBASl2oKTruBDsggyvu8ODJhpvV7x8HVoNjfzf3SglNvQCh_HRvkvKSg8b0OsePAcCjq_oh-iVFLHT6TsyZQqb8JxzPo/s1600/DSC_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUeiKRJah9DEk0_q_VUdh4PWMwcoI3Gh8VZbnyZkJY8xqFphHBASl2oKTruBDsggyvu8ODJhpvV7x8HVoNjfzf3SglNvQCh_HRvkvKSg8b0OsePAcCjq_oh-iVFLHT6TsyZQqb8JxzPo/s320/DSC_0185.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the colour of Summer. Any Summer, on any beach in any country. It's what I think about on cloudy, damp Winter days. It's what keeps me going from Spring. It's warm and bright and fun. It's Summery and beautifully colourful. Personally I don't like to sit amongst all that colour but I love to look at it and know it's there (and I am down the beach at a quieter, less crowded spot that I bothered to walk an extra 100 yards to).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you stickyfingers ( http://stickyfingers1.blogspot.co.uk ) for a great suggestion. Have a go!</span></div></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-29669885442561864322012-03-20T09:06:00.001+00:002012-03-20T09:06:17.292+00:00Mother Rugby<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yz1LXVuzc1zOCBTgltBc-6ddFXpTOUyclSDw07zlbsu_-9_YXhUCNhtkIcg9V7lLOtA8-hbW0nBt0nxwbsgv_XHIDrYkCiz2cBrMhuZhyphenhyphenqfIaLol0W3cy4UvV03p9AjLG0wC9Vtc4nQ/s1600/DSC_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yz1LXVuzc1zOCBTgltBc-6ddFXpTOUyclSDw07zlbsu_-9_YXhUCNhtkIcg9V7lLOtA8-hbW0nBt0nxwbsgv_XHIDrYkCiz2cBrMhuZhyphenhyphenqfIaLol0W3cy4UvV03p9AjLG0wC9Vtc4nQ/s400/DSC_0051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are in Blue and there are six of our seven boys! Yes, there is one at the bottom of the pile.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Just when I thought that the Rugby season was over in Rooster boys' school, I find out he had been asked to play in a Rugby "7's" tournament. He is a hockey player by love but a rugby player by build. And since he is super fit right now, 6 games of rugby( 18 minutes of high speed chase) was just a fun day out.<br />
<br />
It was insane. These boys are animals! They ran and ran and tackled and ran and passed and ran and covered themselves in mud and ran and I think had a great time. Seven teams and we made it to the finals and came second. The coach really had high hopes for our boys to win it, he really wanted the cup, it was huge. But our boys were shattered after six ours of adrenaline madness. Those of us watching were just glad there was not blood or bad injuries.<br />
<br />
Did I mention that this was all done on Mother's Day?? I did manage to get a kiss and a card from the Chicks to round off the day.</div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-29526493632456819212012-03-10T18:05:00.001+00:002012-03-10T18:05:49.019+00:00Busy Bee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a few things going on at the moment that are keeping me nicely busy. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I have started studying for my Bee Keeping classes. Becoming a beekeeper is one of those things I have always thought about doing. Much like Pooh Bear, I love honey. I love steak too but have not thought about raising my own herd of Belted Galloway's to feed my stomach. I'm allergic to wasp stings so I don't look forward to the first bee sting. Different venom apparently but a sting bites no matter who does it. I have to do a lot of reading and because I love to, note taking too. I have kitted myself out with coloured pens, a swanky leather note book for class and new pages for my Filofax with a planner for the hives/bees (colony). I must know what they are always up to apparently even though I don't have a colony yet. I will be ready when they come!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have also been talked into joining a charity that some of my friends are on. Action Medical Research. All a good cause and they are good at raising the funds. I just can't believe that I have been able to avoid being roped in until now. Imagine 14 women trying to make one decision on what to serve 150 wo</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">men for lunch. Then selling tickets to it! The first meeting I went to was strangely organised but only because a million emails get sent around the wires telling us all what the others are really thinking before and after the meetings. I was bombarded with 15 emails the other morning before my first meeting and as I didn't know what or who had sent all these weird emails to me(thinking they should have gone to spam) about really odd things, I kept deleting them, only to find out at the meeting that they were AMR related! I didn't know who all the members were until I showed up and then kept it very quiet that I had deleted information I actually needed! Starting off well here, not...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then there is my dog Rosalynn, who has gone deaf. She is not even 7 yet so I am concerned. The children were sure that it was selective hearing but as she has started snapping at the other two dogs, off to the vets we went. Bad news. There are no obvious signs except she can't hear. Perfectly health otherwise. It has come on pretty quick as well. I think around Christmas time it started to really go down hill though. The completely ignoring me was one give away but then she wouldn't come when I called her to breakfast or for treats. I have been taking her to agility classes the last three weeks which she hasn't really done before and she struggles a bit. She has snapped at a couple of the other dogs there and sometimes just wonders off to have a smell of something. I am having to start teaching her hand signals, hand language actually, to help her communicate with me. I do find she sits and stares at me often now, waiting to learn something new. I feel so bad for her. Going out for walks is hard work now. I have one deaf dog who loves to run, one old blind dog who wonders into ditches and constantly bumps into the back of my knees and the youngest who I am training to herd the other two! He</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">r only fun now is chasing the cats!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-17678451085583495962012-03-04T12:22:00.000+00:002012-03-04T12:22:33.313+00:00Garden Gone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEb9s-Bs_Q5ssXglHzU1_4i95tdUH2Yvd0XZUmSm1Qqbmu7R9ijsxLM00HYLQ8H5TwhoUgHIGkKUoDmc34mn8ZdoethkYzlZPHdDwSg1Bm_UgNz3Fh2F6BESbCtq9C7w1Rlo94jd1c4U/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWEb9s-Bs_Q5ssXglHzU1_4i95tdUH2Yvd0XZUmSm1Qqbmu7R9ijsxLM00HYLQ8H5TwhoUgHIGkKUoDmc34mn8ZdoethkYzlZPHdDwSg1Bm_UgNz3Fh2F6BESbCtq9C7w1Rlo94jd1c4U/s320/DSC_0021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">warm last week was very inspiring. Green things started popping out of the soil in the flower beds around the driveway and patio and my greenish fingers got itchy. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Husband' fingers apparently won't be itching until Easter weekend. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I asked him last week when might he have a free weekend to help me out in the garden, Easter was his reply along with, 'anyway, aren't you home most days, you can get on with it.' He does coach hockey to 120+ little children every Sunday for 5 hours so I can see he hardly wants to pull weeds and lug tree branches when he gets in but Saturdays aren't as busy for him. But he still manages to avoid me and the garden.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just get on with it, that's not the point! I like the company in the garden. I like to do joint projects. And I like filling the big buckets with garden waste until it's too heavy for me to carry and having my husband lug it over to the bonfire pit for me.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this week I went out with only the dogs for company, who spend the whole time pulling sticks out of the piles I've made and chewing them to pulp, and dug away. I actually dug out a whole flower bed that I have always hated and brought it back to just soil. I don't know what I'll put back in to it but it is very satisfying to see it so clean. Then I had boy and a couple of friends chop down an old dead contorted willow tree which now lets sun into the chicken run. Again, very satisfying especially as they dragged the tree branches over to the bonfire for me. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next it was the patio beds. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I filled a couple of buckets full of cuttings and old growth, cut the roses back though it's a bit early and raked away. I have been very naughty though and left the buckets for husband to empty for me. Hopefully it won't be Easter before he does it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over the last several years, I have slowly made our garden easier to manage. Dogs, chickens and children do enough damage so less is more now. We used to have a couple of dozen large flower beds with shrubs, perennials, small trees, bulbs, the lot. Now I have just a dozen with easy plants and simple colour. I would love to rip the lawn in the kitchen garden up and have fake turf put down but the family won't hear of it. Just imagine- dark green, lush looking, no cutting, easy to care for, grass. That would be easy. Every year for my birthday I ask for this, fake grass for the back garden and every year I don't get it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that I have started all the gardening, I hear today that we might have snow again in the South East of England this coming week. I feel a 'I told you so,' from husband coming on. I should have waited until Easter!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-27015625354715073672012-02-22T09:17:00.000+00:002012-02-22T09:17:03.769+00:00The Egg for Lent<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have figured it out, the sneaking in of the Easter Egg (a certain little chocolate foiled egg in the 'splat' commercials specifically) on to supermarket shelves the day after Christmas: Lent.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What do most people give up?? Chocolate. How is Cadbury's supposed to sell all their cute little chocolate eggs if people give chocolate up for Lent? Start selling them right after Christmas so people will have had enough of them by Lent and not miss them until Easter!! Perfect plan. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My teenage chick LOVES these little eggs and buys them in six packs when the mood strikes. By Lent when she feels the need to give something up for religious purposes or peer pressure, she feels she can give up the foiled egg, no problem. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKfZxSH0LrwnINhEJ2lnuuEUQZizeexs3Ngp4ZjVMq6fEgk1_Fb_vhJRJGLWB8BlkNI3kEVhcIhwNNsEZ8WHPVrtYJ8ZoCuPAu_Tr-FiR4fDoXCdJrtra7poWGK9mKXAv9pv66rVbhSM/s1600/thumbnail.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKfZxSH0LrwnINhEJ2lnuuEUQZizeexs3Ngp4ZjVMq6fEgk1_Fb_vhJRJGLWB8BlkNI3kEVhcIhwNNsEZ8WHPVrtYJ8ZoCuPAu_Tr-FiR4fDoXCdJrtra7poWGK9mKXAv9pv66rVbhSM/s1600/thumbnail.aspx.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What an egg!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She has had two months of them so won't miss them for a while. That's my theory anyway. I don't really know what Cadbury's thinks. </span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-70652727696530631482012-02-21T11:59:00.002+00:002012-02-21T11:59:55.134+00:00Bubbly Horror<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwag0ij6zcmMV5na3pG7mx5ZCHUGWOvWnU_Dyyb4HpyWrPojtmb3NEVD5-EQorvquiX2mKmYdMa1xhRcSOaGoXf5WLLaV-SjOVYrVZ8H8Qz58M1GsH6sECRVNT_urQTasFA_uS7S4aZuk/s1600/Uttlesford-20120221-00079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwag0ij6zcmMV5na3pG7mx5ZCHUGWOvWnU_Dyyb4HpyWrPojtmb3NEVD5-EQorvquiX2mKmYdMa1xhRcSOaGoXf5WLLaV-SjOVYrVZ8H8Qz58M1GsH6sECRVNT_urQTasFA_uS7S4aZuk/s1600/Uttlesford-20120221-00079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> My friend Alice thought it would be nice to pass on some 'friendship' batter to me for my own 'friendship' cake. It takes 8 days to mature in the pantry and needs just a bit of attention. After which you divide it into four, pass three tubes of batter on and cook one for yourself.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My attention span this month is pretty minimal but I thought I could manage taking care of a bowl full of batter.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> But I had a bit of a panic a few days ago when I forgot to stir my ugly looking 'friendship' batter. When I looked in the next day, it looked pale and dead. I beat the hell out of it with a plastic spoon, added what was on the list to add and hoped I'd saved it. It wasn't bubbly and light looking like Alice's had been. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwag0ij6zcmMV5na3pG7mx5ZCHUGWOvWnU_Dyyb4HpyWrPojtmb3NEVD5-EQorvquiX2mKmYdMa1xhRcSOaGoXf5WLLaV-SjOVYrVZ8H8Qz58M1GsH6sECRVNT_urQTasFA_uS7S4aZuk/s1600/Uttlesford-20120221-00079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwag0ij6zcmMV5na3pG7mx5ZCHUGWOvWnU_Dyyb4HpyWrPojtmb3NEVD5-EQorvquiX2mKmYdMa1xhRcSOaGoXf5WLLaV-SjOVYrVZ8H8Qz58M1GsH6sECRVNT_urQTasFA_uS7S4aZuk/s200/Uttlesford-20120221-00079.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this morning was divide and bake day. I sorted out three pots to pass on, added some cranberries and chopped apple and a host of other ingredients and popped it in the oven.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzDUekVFZMSIH0xv4fsvKAMkSB7VFXmpzd1MS_Jrag7auaXcEWSu3mu0Kz718bA_jABTHrY7Qrm28BlcaAMAAyTk5epGZgy7TeiJ35YOHZ-5rtxZ_V2ABjAzdwoeCOVt_Af8ljf8ldcM/s1600/Uttlesford-20120221-00080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzDUekVFZMSIH0xv4fsvKAMkSB7VFXmpzd1MS_Jrag7auaXcEWSu3mu0Kz718bA_jABTHrY7Qrm28BlcaAMAAyTk5epGZgy7TeiJ35YOHZ-5rtxZ_V2ABjAzdwoeCOVt_Af8ljf8ldcM/s200/Uttlesford-20120221-00080.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wasn't sure what it was supposed to look or taste like but in it went.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36xCvzOK5Y0S_kbx4Z7dOIQZ9pc8aml8DWj_KqEUc0Oj9TjjVC1pJJpW2Rl9Y0ROzHsOA8kx2652jIaJTLNML4G5C9FQAIufqFAbViOxrec7hayV47XM-4Z3Fq07hAZJC44E3Kd5aXsA/s1600/Uttlesford-20120221-00083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi36xCvzOK5Y0S_kbx4Z7dOIQZ9pc8aml8DWj_KqEUc0Oj9TjjVC1pJJpW2Rl9Y0ROzHsOA8kx2652jIaJTLNML4G5C9FQAIufqFAbViOxrec7hayV47XM-4Z3Fq07hAZJC44E3Kd5aXsA/s200/Uttlesford-20120221-00083.jpg" width="150" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The end result looked okay. It tasted like a tea cake with cranberries and apple and a few other bits. It wasn't award winning but it wasn't crap either. It did make a lot though so half is going in the freezer for another day when I am in need of a quick bit of cake to pass around. Maybe a lemon drizzle will cheer it up. So now I just have to pass on three tubs of the 'friendship' batter to three unsuspecting friends to look after!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-69521517098891727762012-02-13T13:35:00.002+00:002012-02-13T13:35:30.790+00:00Burst!, Bummer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I turned on my kitchen tap last Friday and nothing happened. No water, no noise, nothing. That's a bad thing. We have just been waiting for a bit of a thaw so the pipe won't burst but husband forgot and turned on the tap yesterday afternoon in the kitchen. He promptly shouted," it works! " Then swore really loud as a woosh sound came from the kitchen floor. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<u><i><br /></i></u></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u><i> When this happens:</i></u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ly7tFnOQPaaOh3HPql3JhostY1ys1xLP-lDmTcO5Y3-2qxXLzY39nWGe-UjPpYzRd5CGtQQREmEjt3qo-Ee0800UyIMa4-7_nZaKbWesVL4an0-0bj2zO7Aulmi9n6_nTNohY74nnXo/s1600/Feb+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ly7tFnOQPaaOh3HPql3JhostY1ys1xLP-lDmTcO5Y3-2qxXLzY39nWGe-UjPpYzRd5CGtQQREmEjt3qo-Ee0800UyIMa4-7_nZaKbWesVL4an0-0bj2zO7Aulmi9n6_nTNohY74nnXo/s200/Feb+snow.jpg" width="150" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Then This happens:</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxKVG64RHnPWDlqfoWfq1T91WTBYjX-V34gxow9K5OumLOS_kWheV6Ti7t6SDgZ6pn-yXAmgfua17F_9S-GgNlOlEexCiYz3GYgTAKdkbnoD_WAbaN3liK75Kd1XrVu3BkiJkbUClXhs/s1600/Chelmsford-20120212-00074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxKVG64RHnPWDlqfoWfq1T91WTBYjX-V34gxow9K5OumLOS_kWheV6Ti7t6SDgZ6pn-yXAmgfua17F_9S-GgNlOlEexCiYz3GYgTAKdkbnoD_WAbaN3liK75Kd1XrVu3BkiJkbUClXhs/s200/Chelmsford-20120212-00074.jpg" width="150" /></span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Husband freaks out and rips the back of the kitchen cupboard out to expose the burst pipe. Nice. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have a nice clean up job today. A little something for half term to keep me busy. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been taking the chickens a jug of warm water each morning for the last two weeks since we have had this cold weather. They are a bit delicate and don't seem to like the snow that is in their home run. Babies. They must not mind too much because they are laying fast and furious at the moment.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-76971719259916840412012-02-02T10:15:00.001+00:002012-02-02T10:15:56.305+00:0026 Minutes Gone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have just lost 26 minutes of my life!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Chick has asked for concert tickets to see Drake and others at Hyde Park this summer and I was under very strict instructions to buy two tickets on line at exactly 9 am or die.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcpjpqtB5dANILTeMOExxEHM0XRRo-JiL1ZiDRcQERVjxZmR6lsUClwEgCricmz7ry4Ao_si9MbbwBEAWfz8wrKSFas_q_VrEGb0s_X3qZpl-FbONieopS_lpsAk-HlYM8belNim8kU0/s1600/Uttlesford-20120202-00054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcpjpqtB5dANILTeMOExxEHM0XRRo-JiL1ZiDRcQERVjxZmR6lsUClwEgCricmz7ry4Ao_si9MbbwBEAWfz8wrKSFas_q_VrEGb0s_X3qZpl-FbONieopS_lpsAk-HlYM8belNim8kU0/s320/Uttlesford-20120202-00054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Easier said then done. After finding the freaking website, I had to register and password myself to get in then the clock starts ticking down with each page I was on. Pressure to do it right!!!! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I found the right date, found the right price then had to Ticketmaster the stupid things. Clock still ticking down. 'Account holder already at this email address, please confirm password'. Which one of my family has opened a Ticketmaster account???</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Having re-registered on that with a new password, my time runs out on the Drake tickets and I have to start all over! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It is now 21 minutes past the hour and if I blow this, a screaming teenager will bite my fingers off for being so useless on a keyboard and computer illiterate. No pressure then. I can visualise her holding her phone under her desk at school watching for my text. I am swearing at the website as I type furiously. Dink, dink, dink and confirm payment. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Seven emails later,ping, ping,ping into my inbox and... I still have all my fingers.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjew0_Ue_C6hyphenhyphen8JGdHmzzPUU9oGsHvYklx_v5-XqCEf09BCnYkgXZvIzIXoaZuin4Eh-SWIFbi60OqJPeSG0f9TxHR9x9DF7zZl_Qh9D5y2vSRNmdPmcFM2lxrckk78a8Dt-P5iZAMVeYE/s1600/Uttlesford-20120202-00052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjew0_Ue_C6hyphenhyphen8JGdHmzzPUU9oGsHvYklx_v5-XqCEf09BCnYkgXZvIzIXoaZuin4Eh-SWIFbi60OqJPeSG0f9TxHR9x9DF7zZl_Qh9D5y2vSRNmdPmcFM2lxrckk78a8Dt-P5iZAMVeYE/s200/Uttlesford-20120202-00052.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Happy Chick confirmation</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-39528411178286608832012-02-01T10:16:00.000+00:002012-02-01T10:16:44.794+00:00Just Lay an Egg or Something!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSrgsqTv0NlsjPPrk2OcisBhNM05NdCQ-a4lPw_jlbNixW2Yfjb6Jdi4xF0IU92KNOMyw_Il6ueex6DNuwYgRDJI1kaXInvNzJi-hncuOYUKRsj7mkAohSufst-KWOQTbQ102GD5rKFA/s1600/IMG-20120201-00044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSrgsqTv0NlsjPPrk2OcisBhNM05NdCQ-a4lPw_jlbNixW2Yfjb6Jdi4xF0IU92KNOMyw_Il6ueex6DNuwYgRDJI1kaXInvNzJi-hncuOYUKRsj7mkAohSufst-KWOQTbQ102GD5rKFA/s320/IMG-20120201-00044.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My girls are happy. I spent ages cleaning out their home over the weekend which I haven't done since The New Year. They had a lovely peck around the garden while I swept and dusted out their coop. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clean bedding and straw all lovingly replaced. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They were very appreciative of my efforts and immediately laid three eggs for me.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now if only my children were so appreciative. I'm not asking for them to lay an egg or anything, just a nod or something. Whenever I get through the door of the boys' room and have a tidy, I get the 'What have you done with my blah blah blah?" When I get into the chicks bathroom to tidy, she manages to cover the room in dirty clothes and makeup by that evening! Never mind the Rooster. He didn't notice when the chick had her hair highlighted blond from brown so do you think he would notice a clean house? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The dogs are more appreciative then the human family. I clean up after them in the house every day. They pull out most of their toys from the toy box and rip bits off. They shed dust bunnies, luckily not single hairs, bunnies are easier to scoop up, the puppy brings down my socks and some days they even empty the odd waste paper basket for me. I tidy up after them as I go along and whenever I have a moment and sit down, I get one or all three of them sitting down with me, usually with a head or butt on my lap. Such good dogs. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7rLnoQNtGI0QBnuOtVRkUSdq8YUGdf4fVMtxMvexekbIgrCRC7zgAWbAcoho4TKYmdC7j3LgrZ9bDYOk9IjWs804dauQ9NyM29SI5sMBsOloxjqiacoDPhhEXfibOAoJTL1heoyyfbs/s1600/Uttlesford-20120201-00048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7rLnoQNtGI0QBnuOtVRkUSdq8YUGdf4fVMtxMvexekbIgrCRC7zgAWbAcoho4TKYmdC7j3LgrZ9bDYOk9IjWs804dauQ9NyM29SI5sMBsOloxjqiacoDPhhEXfibOAoJTL1heoyyfbs/s320/Uttlesford-20120201-00048.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cadi and Hobbs with their toy basket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-60541287875010845902012-01-22T19:37:00.001+00:002012-01-22T19:37:42.138+00:00Summer Time Around the CornerI am typing this from our iPad and haven't figured out all the bits and pieces to this thing yet, like how to change the font or add pictures to the blog so sorry if you are reading this!
We have started talking about our summer holidays. The chicks each want to bring a friend along when we go off to America. That's fine. I can plan for that. Because I don't like to do too much while I am there, they think I am boring. What I don't like is entertaining non stop while I am there on my holiday. I like to enjoy my children and husband and The Cape and all it's fun. Swimming, kayaking, yoga, biking, picnicking,shopping and exploring. And I like to drag the family off to do these things with me.
I can't believe we are thinking about the summer but with the 2012 Olympics being advertised in our faces 24/7, it's hard not to think about the summer. We do have a couple of tickets but haven't really got into the swing of things. I guess I better find a house sitter for while we are away. It could be easier said then done considering the events the summer holds.
I do love Sunday nights. Country File, a glass of wine, a soak in the tube and early to bed!Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-6252728887381909072012-01-14T09:57:00.002+00:002012-01-14T09:57:37.503+00:00Winter Might Be Here, At Least For Today<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2wdoY7lHP9P4glp5C_7E-jtqIXlyYtSzTUy5xm6QK0-FCtUMiCIH-qu0XT3J927NN5AnHgHmP54-kv1soydlN0XOLemsHtw8JFGTF0tGi-Wi8CksuEKL83GxdtrtyOdOB0CRXKyknrc/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2wdoY7lHP9P4glp5C_7E-jtqIXlyYtSzTUy5xm6QK0-FCtUMiCIH-qu0XT3J927NN5AnHgHmP54-kv1soydlN0XOLemsHtw8JFGTF0tGi-Wi8CksuEKL83GxdtrtyOdOB0CRXKyknrc/s200/DSC_0001.JPG" width="132" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I was very pleased to wake this morning to see all the fields around our home covered in a Winter frost. Finally it is Winter. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>It will probably be over by lunch time but I like Winter.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> I don't mind putting on three sweaters and thick wooly socks. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I like putting on my (fur) coat and stomping through frozen fields to walk the dogs. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I like having to bring a blanket to hockey games to sit on and wrap around me to keep my bum warm. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I don't mind running out to feed the chickens in my husbands wool coat over my pajamas and running through the frosty grass (as long as I don't slip on slick pavement outside the front door and amuse the workmen fixing the neighbours roof).</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEUd4SNCFNY7msB72v_j2qSBid9gDCtt5TLGSJy1njyp7sHY5puCmcyB5jCeqxzr9hcZ5BTStBl4BtPTu0eyss9901S0SxPSK3yZqflVCUspGXvV7SEs0StLvcKvJg8BPOh0lRFebV3k/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEUd4SNCFNY7msB72v_j2qSBid9gDCtt5TLGSJy1njyp7sHY5puCmcyB5jCeqxzr9hcZ5BTStBl4BtPTu0eyss9901S0SxPSK3yZqflVCUspGXvV7SEs0StLvcKvJg8BPOh0lRFebV3k/s400/DSC_0003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And I love how pretty things look with a bit of frost on them. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-37254068193673915502012-01-07T17:50:00.000+00:002012-01-07T17:50:28.687+00:00Write It, Send It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Yesterday was the write it and send it day.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> I filled out my house rental forms for potential renters in our Cape Cod house for next summer and sent them off. Actually I sorted that out a few days ago but left part of the form in the copier so had to send that off.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> Thank you cards to friends and family. I am always happy when that gets done and they are sent off.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> The check to the poor plumber who had to come sort my bathroom taps out on December 23rd before guests arrived and had to share a bathroom with the the children! Sent with a big thank you note!!</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYA87UmliafDn0coAJ2BHXNk8H7zSAmw1j63fKzcDSaixvrLBJYSKj0BXHYlkY1CxQL1LU4iajw5tVzKFP0UUCqTOoBQhB1oyp7-Lufc3ra-aimK-O5cpudbNZfVTsfy9VG3P69WnrPQ/s1600/Beekeeper%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYA87UmliafDn0coAJ2BHXNk8H7zSAmw1j63fKzcDSaixvrLBJYSKj0BXHYlkY1CxQL1LU4iajw5tVzKFP0UUCqTOoBQhB1oyp7-Lufc3ra-aimK-O5cpudbNZfVTsfy9VG3P69WnrPQ/s200/Beekeeper%25281%2529.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> My EBKA form and a check. This is an interesting one. I will soon be part of the Essex Beekeeping Association. Yes, a beekeeper. My girl chick is thrilled. She thinks it will be really cool to tell her friends that her mom is a bee keeper. I have to sit through a few lessons and read a couple of books, get the cool suit that could save my life and what else?? Oh ya, get a hive with some bees in it! Sent.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> I will keep you informed on this one. Could be interesting.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>So, in the rest of my world, my real chicks are very happy at the moment. They love their hen house, the old Wendy house, and seem to really enjoy making as much mess as possible in it. They scratch around in there all day and poo all night. The compost heap is over filled! But on the up side, they are now laying real sized eggs and not girly sized eggs. For about three months, they were really unpredictable with their laying and I had to keep going over to the neighbours and buying eggs. So embarrassing when I have girls of my own. Then in December, they all of a sudden grew, fluffed up and started laying regularly. Good girls. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-91797859559524450452012-01-02T19:46:00.000+00:002012-01-02T19:46:43.060+00:00Lambs in January<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Just at home with the family, having a quiet moment when the TV gets turned on and shrieking comes from the TV room. Come Dine With Me has gone to Made In Chelsea! Binky, Mark, Spencer and Caggie are cooking it up posh style. Great January TV. Teen Chick is beside herself with joy.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>So I have been nicely busy since the beginning of November. I worked everyday with my girlfriend at her farm, selling Christmas trees, making and decorating fresh wreaths and garlands and even decorating the odd house for clients. Through it all, we had the Internet business to run and houses and families to run as well. Seven days a week for nearly seven weeks is exhausting but fun. It is Christmas after all and I never tire of Christmas tunes. But by the 22nd of December, I was beat. The friends and family started to arrive and we kept very busy right up until New Years Eve. I love having a house full of friends and or family, especially during the holidays. All went well. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>New Years Eve was celebrated at a friend's house with our chicks and about 80 other parents and children(teens). Safe, fun and close to home. I didn't make any resolutions because I hate to disappoint myself but I know this year will be full of trials. Some for me and some for my chicks. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Today was one of the first trials, literally. The family spent the day up in Birmingham at Moseley Rugby Club with the teen boy. He was selected to represent the South East in rugby trials for The Lambs (an English Independent Schools U18 team). He was very nervous over the last few days but he performed brilliantly on the pitch. 80 boys working their stuff off for 26 places. It was a great day out and we were so proud of him. If he doesn't make it any further then todays trials, so be it. It was a great achievement to get this far. He is asleep now and so has missed The Chelsea lot dinning together. Shame.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I love the start of a new year. Full of new things and ideas. Us lucky lambs.</i></span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-4563656978943667922011-12-09T08:20:00.000+00:002011-12-09T08:20:39.204+00:00It's All About The Tree<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VIscCwA-pjczChuOozlrAizWDObjIQkXjH-QU3aw1NIR5a16t9iHF6jb2U-4D8SHa8kOrKsvjSF8deHHGKiMpAjiv0dQlmqGJZxOkEa4hdiG9Fp0ZpdGVZoh33bkKOOJeNaLfixtXpM/s1600/DSC_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VIscCwA-pjczChuOozlrAizWDObjIQkXjH-QU3aw1NIR5a16t9iHF6jb2U-4D8SHa8kOrKsvjSF8deHHGKiMpAjiv0dQlmqGJZxOkEa4hdiG9Fp0ZpdGVZoh33bkKOOJeNaLfixtXpM/s200/DSC_0067.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Your tree might be wild and wacky or more traditional.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0h8Sj-DVI252CqbANC9FBctWJ2EKIFVhqeCZDRFfp7stLZ8-vywl5mbvf6a7hBsfg0CXjjtM0CXvGUSOz1NTCcrC1FNvqvUtPhxkQ3jx4og-62i3r5hce6KdrLCLgffSKqqu4QHjjNA/s1600/DSC_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ0h8Sj-DVI252CqbANC9FBctWJ2EKIFVhqeCZDRFfp7stLZ8-vywl5mbvf6a7hBsfg0CXjjtM0CXvGUSOz1NTCcrC1FNvqvUtPhxkQ3jx4og-62i3r5hce6KdrLCLgffSKqqu4QHjjNA/s200/DSC_0059.JPG" width="132" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Which ever way you choose to decorate your Christmas tree, have fun doing it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Don't fret, panic or get tied in knots. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's once a year and only with you for a few weeks at most. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once a few presents are under it and the lights get turned on, every Christmas tree becomes beautiful.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm living with Christmas trees at the moment. It's a 9-5, 7 days a week job up until Christmas Eve. I look at a lot of trees and hear a lot of stories about peoples tree habits.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4KHYi7zAcJEtMnQymIZ-8-muPQrrt81DUD16PVO99zEMx0_FtXTBsbtCv15tNt0B8yLD0lWNQI9JKNvgR3beHAk5taTXSLYSugfv3j0ptdPp8DdqkYCceYDxWo_NgMtznbCsH6696rY/s1600/DSC_0102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4KHYi7zAcJEtMnQymIZ-8-muPQrrt81DUD16PVO99zEMx0_FtXTBsbtCv15tNt0B8yLD0lWNQI9JKNvgR3beHAk5taTXSLYSugfv3j0ptdPp8DdqkYCceYDxWo_NgMtznbCsH6696rY/s320/DSC_0102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some people come as couples and whisper and touch gently, choosing delicately. They are sweet and giggle a bit. They choose in about 15-20 minutes, looking at maybe three different trees.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some people come by themselves, usually the wife, and she hums and ha's, hands on hips, looking critical because she is the one who will be looking at it everyday until it gets taken down and chucked on the bonfire. She looks at maybe eight different trees and can take up to half hour to pick one tree.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The well married couple that comes are pleasant, aren't really paying attention to the trees that we are showing them until they spot the tree being showed to another person then they instantly want that tree! Pleasant couple becomes competitive couple. They start following other people around and watch as trees are brought out and displayed. When one tree is discarded, they swoop and buy. We are happy to see them go.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The man comes. He is husband, he has instructions, he has a measuring tape! He doesn't need our help and he will take it with him; no delivering. We like him.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The woman in Gucci boots comes in. We all hide. She will want to look at all the trees that are over 9 feet tall. She will want it perfect and will make us dig through a pile of wet, freshly cut trees forever until she gets just the right one. She will complain about the mud in the yard, the pine needles clinging to her trouser bottoms, the cold, the fact that her gardener will make a mess putting it in her house even though her cleaning lady will be the one sweeping up the needles. She will decorate the lower branches and have staff to do the higher ones. She will want it delivered yesterday. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrVuniTN1BbyX4YFCyGjQFDi8OrzP8br4Dny1HWkJQYkE41jn4X1xtDbO9k1Hr3awwCXk36QXt_5EapZS1EvQ98ebxfLxdR7QmF7szOyVTz-isBLpldNOBrCgSkdNRsy69sHQGIppX_o/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrVuniTN1BbyX4YFCyGjQFDi8OrzP8br4Dny1HWkJQYkE41jn4X1xtDbO9k1Hr3awwCXk36QXt_5EapZS1EvQ98ebxfLxdR7QmF7szOyVTz-isBLpldNOBrCgSkdNRsy69sHQGIppX_o/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The families are the funniest. They all want different trees, different sizes and shapes and are super critical of each others choices. They all say 'no' to mom's choice. They have a warm drink and look at decorations and stands and lights and all agree on a big wreath for the door with a red ribbon. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They have a nice time and usually leave,having bought two trees. Even if they want the trees delivered by the weekend, they had a good time and the fun rubs off on us and we are happy to oblige. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The couple that fight. They have brought their troubles with them and have no qualms about public displays of...non-adoration. There is a lot of finger pointing and jabs about mother in-laws, egg nog consumption and dirty dishes. They often want a large tree, a status symbol to their fained happiness perhaps. Sometimes we give them a strip of ribbon and send them out into the tree plantation by themselves to sort it all out. They come back half an hour later,visibly relieved, having picked the perfect tree and settled their marital life for the moment. We wave them off, forgetting the public tiff but expecting our driver to get tip when he delivers their tree two days later.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNrINL46rO207Tyvd_T-yBSqACXDTLpJZ_5GKY0UKOQaswbQgNS8XUwZizyizgHc4p9ckj8wgg7Lk3kBmQ-NsBB7_-rS5ASqEaAXYzSQOTg1AiyqJO3uu125gOBmBZbGhD2TYQp8derU/s1600/IMG_7320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNrINL46rO207Tyvd_T-yBSqACXDTLpJZ_5GKY0UKOQaswbQgNS8XUwZizyizgHc4p9ckj8wgg7Lk3kBmQ-NsBB7_-rS5ASqEaAXYzSQOTg1AiyqJO3uu125gOBmBZbGhD2TYQp8derU/s200/IMG_7320.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The very best is the eight second picker. She comes in has a quick scan of the trees,points to the first tree in the line, rips off the tag,pays and bam, done and dusted. We net it load it and she's off. And we're on to the next one.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Maybe it is all bout the tree. It sets the mood. It enlightens us for the holiday. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Happy holidays everyone.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1422987621193782591.post-92003244815064822542011-11-22T09:11:00.000+00:002011-11-22T09:11:49.474+00:00Heart On The Floor And Spinning Head<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a call from my daughters' school the other day. Not out of the norm this time of year as there is a lot going on with her being in her GCSE year. There are phone calls and emails to and from parents updating infor about our girls wellbeing. This particular phone call was different though, as it did not begin with, " Your daughter is fine," it began with, "Do you have your daughter home with you today?". "Ah, No." was my reply, "You have her." "No we don't. She didn't register in school this morning."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My heart fell out of my chest onto the floor. As I bent down to pick it up, my head spun.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The call was 45 minutes after registration so pretty quick in school time. Where the hell was she then. She had a Biology exam that morning and had been up late studying and was really ready for it. I knew she wouldn't miss it on purpose.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We will look for her, school remarks. Oh, thanks, that would be nice.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Call me back as soon as you know anything," was all I could think of at the moment. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then I called her dad. Yes, I saw her get on the bus. Then I called the bus company. Thank goodness for private bus service. I talked to a man instead of a machine who promptly called the bus driver. Yes he saw her walking up to school. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So where was she? All sorts of horrible thoughts where running through my head. She goes to school in a city. Small but still a city. There was a problem with an invader on Facebook just last week who tried to befriend some younger girls at her school. Stupid girls for letting everyone become their friends. at the end of last year, a strange man in a van repeatedly drove along their road trying to talk to the girls. He was picked up but we were all told about it. Horrible things could happen to her. Though in all fairness, she is quick witted and pretty street smart. She sees everything and I have taught her to always be aware of her surroundings. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Phone rings 14 minutes later. They found her and were So sorry to put the fear of God in me. Their fault, blah, blah, blah. but I wasn't listening, I was jsut so thankful that all was ok. Called father, and expalined schools cock up. They didn't register her in her Biology exam first period. I did forget to call the bus and thank them though so when she got on in the afternoon, the driver was really worried and said that I had called this morning. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Daughter thought the whole thing halarious. I can't wait until she is a parent. I guess by then though, all children will have microchipped bodies and will be tracked via a device located on the controll pad on mother's forearm. She will be able to track child and cook dinner from her virtual office. </span></div>Mother Henhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01669942398455478155noreply@blogger.com2