A holiday of memories.

Hmm. I must be going through a nostalgic phase at the moment because if I am lucky enough to be awarded a small carers grant soon, I intend to use it on a holiday at one of my childhood holiday haunts. Cayton Bay near Scarborough. It was the place where my sister and I spent many a happy holiday with our parents in a caravan. Every year in the first week of September. Why my Dad used to prefer going on that particular week I haven’t a clue but that was always the week that we went on holiday, year after year without fail. Funnily enough we were often blessed with some terrific weather and I can remember one year where I actually got badly sunburnt on my back.

A trip back to the sixties

These last few days I’ve been transported back to the 60’s. A nostalgic trip back in time that has ended up with me spending a stupid amount of money and also ending up with my  ‘going off’ someone who I used to be crazy about.  It began as it usually does with me surfing the Internet looking for something entirely different. Either that, or I planned to do something else. A quick visit to YouTube, probably to set up my credentials or something, ended up with me listening to The Walker Brothers singing ‘Love Her.’

I was instantly transported to those heady days of ‘Ready Steady Go’ black and white TV, skin tight skirts, trousers and skinny rib jumpers, Mary Quant hairdo’s and my first crush on a pop star.

Our new addition settles in…

My last post was all about the treats I received on Saturday. One of those treats was a worried looking Meerkat. Now christened Manky. (don’t ask!)  He has spent the last few days trying to escape via one method or another. All to no avail. I am a Mum don’t forget and as my children will quickly inform anyone who cares to listen, I have eyes in the back of my head. Here in pictures are his escape attempts and a family portrait taken as he settles in to our humble abode.

Saturday Spending Spree.

Been out on a shopping trip this morning to Huddersfield. Not a venue I usually frequent but it was K’s idea. We SHOULD have been travelling in peace and tranquillity down the canal at Mirfield on a narrowboat with C.R.E.W.  Instead, we were dodging and manoeuvring our way into and out of different shops spending our limited income on various items that are totally unnecessary. I would much rather have gone on the canal trip but K was insistent. According to her the new Argos catalogue was out today, and we simply HAD to go and get our mitts on a copy. Not only that, but the new camera I have promised her has been reduced to under £80 she informed me last night. Several times. Seeing as she is in respite for her birthday next week I have to buy it her right now.

A Snails Tail.

Every time I went out to the dustbin area where we stash our recycle refuse, I kept wondering why I seemed to be getting an accumulation of snails hanging out there. Walking up the walls, lounging in the plastic bottle bag, waiting patiently in the glass and tin container box, and even residing inside the green newspapers and cardboard bag.  What was it about my particular dustbin area that seemed to encourage them to head there? 

 

These boots are made for walking…..

I am still recovering from the shock of paying so much for a pair of walking boots. £79.99 for a pair of walking boots!  Boots that will get muddy and dirty and wet. Its not often that I buy myself any new items of clothing. I’m simply not into clothes at all. Of course I need to wear them, but anything I buy has to be cheapo. I honestly can’t recall paying so much on a coat or an outfit never mind a pair of walking boots! What rankles the most is that K’s boots look practically identical to mine and certainly as well made, yet cost less that half the price!  If only the assistant had informed me that my final choice was not in the sale, I would have acted like one of the ugly sisters and squeezed my feet into the toe pinching, tight fitting, bunion rubbing one’s instead.

A foot themed day.

Yesterday turned out to be one of those days again. Analysing its contents I realised that it was for the most part, centred around feet. It began with this Granny trying her best to cut her very long toe nails. Toe nails that have during the course of her sixty six years turned from ordinary toe nails to something akin to steel.  Tried the nail cutters. No joy. Tried some scissors. They bent. Nearly went searching in desperation for a hacksaw. After resorting to using the very sharp (had horrible visions of being whisked off to hospital at this point with severed toe) kitchen scissors I somehow managed to make some headway and cut them shorter.

An Extraordinary walk through Cromwell Woods.

Today we went on a very extraordinary walk through Cromwell woods.  It began normal enough,  with K and I boarding the 9.10am bus from home. The rest of the C.R.E.W members then also boarded our bus in town and we all rode up to Southowram where the walk was to begin. Following the usual talk by the team leader describing the walk we were about to do, we set off in the usual high spirits and although it was cloudy the sun kept peeping through and it was fairly warm.  We had a fairly short walk through some woods, followed by joining the road at the top of Southowram where enjoyed some some stunning views of Halifax and the surrounding countryside as we walked along, until we eventually left the road and continued passed some farms and houses, We were warned to keep away in no uncertain terms with lot’s of dog barking before arriving at the entrance to the woods which was the main part of the walk.

Another trip to Edinburgh.

Yesterday we embarked on yet another  train trip to Edinburgh, this time taking J with us. He was told to arrive promptly at 6.15 am because a taxi was arriving to collect us at 6.30am.

“Yes Mum, I’ll be there, don’t worry!” How many times during the last twenty eight years or so have I heard those words?  (Well maybe not twenty eight as he couldn't talk when he was born, only cry, so maybe 25 years.) Of course as usual he ended up running down the road at the last minute, huffing and puffing into the waiting taxi. Sigh. Will my youngest son ever EVER see the stupidity of never being able to arrive on time for anything not to mention the complete waste of energy spent pelting down roads, platforms etc in order to catch buses, trains and waiting taxis?

Guess where we’ve been….

Just a very quick blog before I rest my weary head for the night. We have been on one of our adventures today. On one of our usual  Green Express Railtours. Just for fun I am not going to do a post about our day today, I’ll do one tomorrow, but for now all I will include in this ‘quickie’ post are some photos taken on our trip.

You have to try and guess where we went by simply examining the photos for clues. No prizes I’m afraid, seeing as I have returned skint. (Can’t quite fathom how I’ve spent up either, seeing as all I have returned with is a fridge magnet, but I was accompanied by K and my youngest.)  So here are your photo clues. First to guess correctly is the winner.

I’m so dizzy, my head is spinning….

 

Had to make a trip to the doctor’s yesterday morning. I HAD planned to clean the flat, but …..best laid plans and all that! The reason was simple enough. The night before, when I came to lay my head down on the pillow, the room spun around and around me.  I hadn’t even the excuse of drinking a few too many glasses of wine either.

When morning arrived and I tried to get up I thought I was going to have to yell at the top of my head for K to come and help me  it was so bad. Either that or I was going to have to remain laid there in bed. Once upright it went away as long as I didn’t move my head too quickly or bent down to do anything.

Ironing Bored!

 

I don’t mind housework. That is apart from one job.  Ironing.  If there is any other task that exists more boring, mundane or downright demoralising, then I have yet to find it.  When I’m hoovering, dusting, hanging the washing out, making the beds, shopping, etc, I am moving around and  at least taking in some kind of change of scenery. Ironing, you just stand there. On the same spot. Ironing.

My ex husband (who never ever picked up the iron whilst married to me) irons watching the TV.  Mind you, he does most things whilst watching  the TV.  I suppose I could ‘lighten the load’ by doing the same.  Well, I can’t read a book whilst ironing can I?  How would I turn the pages over unless someone invented an ‘Ironing Book Holder?’ 

Musings about our bus service.

As K and I sat on the bus yesterday slowly roasting thanks to the warm summer sunshine outside and the heat radiating from the bus heaters belting out around our feet, I began to imagine in my mind a set of rules presented to all the drivers on our particular route by the management and it went something like this;

Rules of etiquette for train travel.

This particular post has been solely prompted after reading an excellent post on the subject from another Wordpress blogger. You can read his thoughts HERE on rules that he feels should be observed when travelling on a train. As he is only 22 years of age and a therefore a mere whippersnapper, his etiquette rules, although I do agree with most of them, do not exactly fit my bill as the ideal ‘code of conduct’ for train travel. So with that thought in mind I have decided to add some of my own train travel etiquette rules.  Of course, he may simply spend most of his journey time on short commuter journeys whereas most of mine of late have tended to be of a fairly long duration. Anyway, less of the blathering and onto my rules for train travel.

A change of plan.

As usual seeing as its Tuesday, I was given my orders to go down shopping this morning. So as soon as the boss had left for day care, I grabbed my bag, checked that the bosses shopping list was in there (daren’t forget that!)  grabbed my camera (in case there were any must have photo opportunities occur on my travels) and set off out the door. I said my usual ‘Locking the Door’ as I turned the key in the lock. ( this strategy to help me remember that I HAVE locked the door and save me the embarrassing and annoying return to check from half way down to town.)

One of those days………

I’ve had one of those days today. Again. But I intend to end it all on a positive note by being generous and creative by sharing some of my all time favourite shots in a Windows 7 theme that I will share with everyone. Not that I think my photos I take are good enough, but some aren’t all that bad.  I might call it TG’s summer theme. I need to do something worthwhile to end my horrible day!

The Strange case of the Black Toe.

I do hope that none of you are eating whilst reading this blog. If so, you had better not read the rest of it until you have finished and it has all been thoroughly digested. You see, it includes some horrible pictures of one of my feet. Yes, thankfully you don’t have to suffer the sight of both of them.  I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. Besides which I would then loose the only two readers I have.  I can just imagine that you are all wondering why I am featuring some pictures of one of my feet?  Have I finally flipped? Did I drop my camera whilst snapping something fantastic and it took a snap of my foot as it fell to the floor? 

The Early birds………….

Whilst doing our weekly shop last Sunday, I was very nearly driven to actually hitting someone with one of the items in my basket, either that or suddenly losing control and charging willy nilly into every shopper in sight with my trolley screaming my head off. (they would have come to take me away, but it would have been worth it.) There was a time when K and I were the only shoppers (well apart from perhaps one or two more) who did our shopping on a Sunday, but lately we have been joined by  every man, woman, nattering child, screaming infant, and yes, even the occasional dog who now pile into Tesco's every Sunday morning.  We badly needed a cunning  plan.

A Meander down to town.

Yesterday we took advantage of the lovely warm weather to enjoy a meander down to town. We had some shopping to do, but we decided to take our time and journey to Tesco’s in a leisurely fashion, taking in the whole of the park as we did so.  I happen to think that despite only being a very small town, we have one of the nicest parks in the whole of Calderdale.  At its front entrance it has the main  display area of gorgeous flower beds, all lovingly tended and cared  for by the local authorities gardeners, and where, thanks to plenty of benches surrounding the display, you can wile away many an hour or two as long as the weather is kind.

My Visit to Scotland. The journey home.

Wednesday morning arrived far too soon. It was time to pack my suitcase after taking Sandy for an early morning walk around the estate. At least one was going to miss me even if the cats were glad to see me depart! They usually sleep in the bedroom, but I don’t let them come in as I shut the door, so they are really pleased to see the back of me.

My Visit to Scotland. Streams and gorse and bogs, oh my!

On the Tuesday which would be my last full day with my son and his family and following the dispatch of the grandchildren off to school, they decided to take me to the top of Bonhill so that I could enjoy the panoramic vistas of Ben Lomond and the Loch from there. I had already seen a video of them all enjoying this particular walk some time ago and where my granddaughter had ended up loosing one of her boots in a bog.

We drove up to the beginning of the walk, my son parked the car and we set off. Sandy the dog was accompanying us on this walk, and she went bounding ahead up the path. The weather was absolutely beautiful and because it was still fairly early in the morning it hadn’t really had time to become  too hot. A good job as well  because the terrain was very uneven and although there was a path of sorts, it was very bumpy and potholed.

My Visit to Scotland. At the side of Loch Lomond.

On the Monday, it was decided that we would pay a visit to one of Cl’s favourite spots at the side of Loch Lomond at Rowardennen, where we would also be able to see a clear view of Ben Lomond that the whole family had climbed last year for charity.  Again, it was a fair drive to get there, amongst some absolutely stunning scenery.  During the drive I noticed a wonderful holiday home site consisting of wooden lodges nestled in the woods at the side of Loch Lomond where I would love to stay one day for a holiday.  It looked so peaceful and tranquil.

My visit to Scotland. Over the sea to Arran.

Over the sea to the Isle of Arran

We set off fairly early on Sunday morning as it was a fair drive to Ardrossan where we were to board the ferry to Arran. As it turned out , Cl and Cr considered that it was too expensive to take the car across (£60 for the car and £9.50 per person according to the lady in the booking office) so we left it in the car park, being assured by the lady that there was a bus service available of Arran.