Is there anybody out there?............

Afternoon All,

Its been a while since I last posted hasn't it?

Life sort of got in the way for a long while - I found it hard to have the time to write posts with work and commuting - I have managed to read a lot of your blog's and have stayed in touch with a number of blogger's.

So what's changed to make me be writing this post now.................I have retired from work!!

I am now a retiree from the rat race - I finally got off that tread mill and now have time to stand and stare, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy my family and the simple pleasures in life - you can tell from my sheer delight that this only happened a week ago.

I realised around March that as far as work was concerned I was 'old school' - I believe that in public service you're there to give a good service to all customers - at work all that seemed to matter was how many awards we won that week.

The plan had been to wait until I was 60 and then retire but I had my pension figures for me to retire this year at 59 and the difference just wasn't worth going up and down the motorway for and spending my time doing a job that I was no longer enjoying - so I made my decision in September and finished a week ago.

It means that we are on a tight income for the next 7 years until I get my state pension but it'll just be a case of managing and getting on with it! At least I wont have to do that commute which had been getting worse and worse recently - I had been working 8 hours and then commuting 2 1/2 hours on top, so just felt completely shattered all the time.

So what's been happening in my little world since I last posted...........we have a beautiful new granddaughter I. a sister for E. there is just 15 months between them so its  a handful now but they will grow up together. My Hubby has retired and is enjoying being at home. We have a new puppy Winnie - she's a Corkie - half Cocker and half Yorkie with a little bit of Jack Russell thrown in too - soooo naughty but so lovely. We've been down to Cornwall twice this year and had brilliant holidays and weather on both occasions. My daughter has secured a really prestigious position in her field and I am very proud of her and her achievements - I think that is all the big news. Oh and we have a new allotment to work on. Pictures of all to follow - when I can remember how to upload and find my way round the blog!

So now I'll be able to post more often and record how I spending my well earned retirement!!

Speak again soon

Byeee xxx

Cornwall, Jamaica Inn and Ghosts

Evening All

Well, Fleetwood Mac were amazing and awesome - my seat was worth every penny that I had spent on it and I achieved something that I have said many times that I'd love to do - see them 'live'. They were on stage from 8.10pm through till 11.00pm

Lyndsey Buckingham  was amazing he spent practically all night on the stage and played on every song bar Mick Fleetwood drum piece and then he  sat on the floor of the stage and just listened to Mick beating out those drums

The whole night was just very special - I'll put some photos on when we get back home

We've travelled down to Cornwall today - it's a 'Sun' holiday and the accommodation is ok basic, clean but not over special - it'll do us for a few days. Rain is forecast so we'll probably stock the car up with a flask of coffee, sandwiches and the kindles to read and then go  and find some where to park up, with a view and a walk for the dogs and just chill each day.

It's tradional that we always stop on the way down here at Jamaica Inn and as the weather was grey with cloud, we were trying to imagine what it must be like to be stuck  on the moors in winter.

When my hubby said 'what if you were stuck in bad windy weather at Jamaica Inn'  would you stay there? my answer was a definite No! - I'd never sleep and would be listening for the ghost of a pirate from long ago to rattle the windows or slam a door or hear the rumble of a cask of rum that's been taken from a boat that's been wrecked on the rocks - I think it's an atmospheric place and I'm sure that if you listen carefully you can hear the rustle of Mary Yellens petticoats in the hall way as she bustles away after listening at a closed door to what the pirates will do next

So if you've read the book - would you stay the night at Jamaica Inn and sleep soundly or do I just have an overactive imagination

Have a good day all - speak soon

Bye xxx

And breathe.....

Evening All

I went missing there for a little while didn't I? Life took over I'm afraid and the daily grind has been a little manic to say the least!

I did say that work was busy - well its been past busy - closer to frantic really.

When I went back to the team 3 years ago, they weren't known as the most positive of teams but slowly we turned the negatives to positives and we've had some good inspections and reports - so good, that all of a sudden other teams are looking to my lads for recruitment and I've lost 3 good people to other teams. Plus I've had 4 colleagues on long term sick leave with different ailments.

Only problem - management are unwilling to allow me to recruit despite having found 2 brilliant agency guys who would make perfect permanent colleagues. When you add in annual leave, we've been keeping the service to customers going with 50% of a team at times.

It's no wonder that I've been doing 50 hour weeks and feeling very frustrated - I've come to the belief now that we're going to have to fail customers before management will listen to me and let us recruit

But talking to other people in other industries, it seems that everyone is in the same boat - everyone seems to be working flat out with not enough people to do the job properly - is it the recession or is it just the way 'working life' is now - I honestly don't know - all I do know is that I'm so glad that I'm coming to the end of my career - I feel for the youngsters, they've not only got to work till they drop -  with retirement being an impossible dream - but it seems that  they've got to work longer hours and flat out too.

Plus I swear someone has shaved half a day off the weekend - I fail miserably most weekends to get everything done that needs to be done, before I start at work again on a Monday morning - I know I'm tired from work, whether that's making me slower on a weekend..........I just don't know

But on the plus side, I've finished for a week -  I'm going to see Fleetwood Mac tomorrow night and then we're off down to Cornwall with our girls (dogs) Tilley and Daisy on Monday morning for a short break - we don't care what the weather does this next week - a walk on the beach, a few nice shops to mooch round and a pub with a view and we'll be just fine.

Time to stop and stare and just breathe in fresh Cornish  air.........

See you in a weeks time

Bye xxx

Busy day

Evening All

I hope you are all fit and well and going along all good. It's been a busy day here - I took the net curtains down in the conservatory yesterday and got them washed and dried overnight (we have to have nets due to an extremely noisy neighbour 2 doors away) so I got those ironed and the windows cleaned earlier on.

Hubby spent this morning up on the summer house roof painting some thick black tar like roof sealant onto the shingles - the snow last winter lifted a couple of them and then damp got under them and we had a slight leak on one side of the roof - so it's been a good job done before the storms hit later this week - mind, roof sealant isn't cheap...... £60 in total but another job ticked off the list.

I've just finished knitting a little blue cardigan for Eli complete with blue aeroplane buttons

 Eli popped in to see us earlier on this afternoon and spent some time with his Grandpa watching the golf on the T.V. - mind I think Lee Westwood spent more time in the bunkers today then on the greens and I was really routing for him to win on a home course.




Oh well time to turn in - rain is definitely on it's way - my arthritis has been really painful all day - have a good week all

Byeee xxxx

Happiness

Evening All

I've not been around much lately - the computer where I normally work is situated in the conservatory and it's been way too hot to sit in there recently - this hot weather's nice but a little too hot for me, mind it doesn't seem 5 mins since I was  moaning that it was too cold - we're never happy when it comes to the weather are we?

I'm presently trying to see if I can do this post on the kindle, sitting in the kitchen where it's definitely cooler......so please excuse any mistakes!

My Daughter and Granddaughters are presently in Egypt where it's up in the 40's....... phew now that's way too hot for me!! But the girls are enjoying their holiday - they've been to swim with dolphins today and had a great time, skimming through the water holding onto the dolphins and getting kisses from them.

But the main reason I haven't been around much is this little chappie

Our third Grandchild and our first Grandson, Eli, he was born on 13th July weighing 5lbs 12ozs - he was 3 weeks early and he is named after one of his great, great, great Uncle's. My Son and Daughter in law have waited a long time for Eli to come along - he is one very very special little boy and he has brought so much happiness with him.

I spent last Saturday morning shopping for lots of blue items.........shorts,  t-shirts, coats,  teddies and blue wool for knitting............after 7 years of knitting in pink it's a nice change to knit with blue wool.

One very proud Daddy and yes I am one very proud Mom and Nanny

Byeee. Xxxx

Poppy Cottage Garden

Afternoon All,

Hope everyone is well - the nice sunny weather seems to have deserted us this weekend........so much for Summer - plus now we've had the longest day it's all down hill to December!

I always think that when the Proms start on the T.V. - well that's it we're truly into Summer now and the last night of the Proms means we're in to Autumn.

Life's still pretty busy her but 'good' busy - My Hubby and Son have spent some time up at the allotment this weekend playing with the rotavator and making a big difference to our heavy clay soil.

When we were down in Cornwall we went to a garden called Poppy Cottage Garden - it was only £3.50 each to get in which was reduced because I'd got the 2-for-1 card from the Gardener's World Magazine

It was a beautiful garden - it was sectioned off into 'garden rooms ' and each time you turned a corner there was yet another beautiful small garden  - the lady who owned it sounded like she came from Lancashire or Yorkshire (I'm not the best with accents) but I couldn't get to speak to her - there were 2 rather elderly butch ladies who were monopolising her time - but she really sounded as if she knew her stuff when it came to this garden

We spent a lovely peaceful hour or so just wandering round and it was just that 'peaceful'

She only opens on some afternoons each week - we brought some plants back with us -  and they were reasonably priced too so if you're down there on holiday this is one garden where you get value for money

And finally - Hubby said that he wouldn't mind a water feature like this one in the garden (can't imagine why!!!)

Speak again soon

Byeeee xxx

A little bit of this and that!

Afternoon All,

Oooops went missing a while there didn't I? - life just seems to have taken over and I've had little time to spend in blog land - not for bad reasons - all good - so until I have a little more time here's a quick update

Garden and Allotment
We have worked so hard on the garden and you can really tell - the decking has all been re-stained, and all the garden furniture painted white, cushions, seating pads and bunting has all been made very cheaply from a pair of CS curtains. I would love to have a white painted garden rocking chair sitting under the overhang of the summer house but at £100+ that's not going to materialise any time soon - so I have brought a rocker off ebay for £12 and when time and the weather allows I will paint it white - but all in all the garden is looking good now. The allotment is still work in progress but that will truly come into it's own when Hubby retires next year.

 

The view from the top deck -You can see Flossie's bench at the top of the garden and the new log store on the right (presently work in progress)

 

Pimms o'clock! - You can just see my new rocking chair waiting for it's coat of paint



Work
As I went off work poorly in February the Aye Aye Captain (he liked to say 'I' an awful lot!)  took his leave and redundancy money and scuppered off into the great unknown. What a difference it has made at work! yes I am working harder but without having to worry about someone stabbing me in the back, if I gave him an instruction that he didn't want to do. The atmosphere is so changed you wouldn't believe.

In 2005 I was managing this team and going through a massive review of the service - I went for 2 days to a service conference and came back with the ideas (borrowed form another provider) for the service we operate now. Lots of work followed and the new service came into being in 2006. In the middle of May, this year we went back to the same conference and this time delivered a workshop - it showed that in our field we are now one of the leaders and I was so proud - only problem is since I've come back of my hols - I've been given another new large project to undertake which will certainly see us at the top of our game.....but it means even more work.

Holidays
We went away to Cornwall and had a brilliant week, the weather was good if a little chilly at times. the chalet was absolutely beautiful and the view from there was to die for. But Cornwall seems to have lost a little of it's magic,  especially St Ives, it appeared that the shop owners in St Ives think that only young people have disposable income - it was all either food shops or these modern designer type shops selling clothes for the youngsters - it appeared that they don't think that the over 50's have disposable income - Don't get me wrong I don't have that much but when I'm holiday I do like to wonder round the shops and bring a few nice items back to remind me of my holidays - the only really decent shop there was Cath Kidston (yes - new handbag, purse and matching key fob later, which I'd saved hard for, for the last 3 months so a treat for me!).

I went into one shop and they wanted £14.00 for a wind chime which must have only cost a pound at the most to put together - I may have a few pennies to spend but I don't have idiot written across my forehead.

Plus St Ives seemed to be filled with people walking with their Cocker Spaniels and it made us miss our Flossie - we took her to St Ives so many times and she loved the Tate Gallery beach - we both shed a tear, when we walked round the church on hill and down onto that beach. I'd still give anything to have her back with us.

We spent an enjoyable hour or so sitting outside the Sloop Inn watching people pass by and spent 2 afternoons sitting outside the The Goldophin Inn at Marazion with a couple of pints, watching the sea come in over the causeway. We also visited a beautiful garden called Poppy Cottage Garden. (photo's to follow)

 

The view from our chalet

Days out
We've had a few days out, one up to Montgomery and Welshpool, before our holidays. We went to BBC Gardens World on Friday for the last time - it's something that we won't be able to afford come next year - we worked it out with the price of the tickets, parking, and the toll road, it had cost us £65.00 before we set foot in there.

The show has had it's day - the gardens were really poor - you could have got a double decker bus round the plant marquee, there was so much space between the exhibitors. We took the flask and sandwiches with us but stopped for a cup of tea each..........£4.40 later......yes £2.20 for a cup of tea.... can you believe it!

We did spend a fair bit whilst we were there but the majority of it went on a rotavator for the allotment - the ground is so heavy up there and it will pay us back in time - It will certainly save Hubby's back, that's for sure! 

Yesterday we spent the day in Ludlow - it's such  a lovely market town, we had a mooch round the shops and the market and had another pint sitting in a courtyard just off the market square

Crafts
I'm still doing loads of knitting each night - I've done a cardigan and hoody jacket for the new arrival which is due in early August. I have also started on the Xmas knitting for my Grand daughters too.

We spent a day in Mullian whilst we were in Cornwall and went to the Chocolate Factory Craft Farm - there is a lovely lady there in a little cabin selling wool and I brought quite a bit from her as her prices were reasonable and the wool is beautiful and soft, she also sells beautiful buttons and all reasonably priced  - I'm saving up for when we go back down to Cornwall in October so that I can stock up on some more wool from this lovely lady - So if you're down there - it's well worth a visit as the craft farm was nice to walk round too.

Well that's a quick catch up - time to get tea on, speak again soon

Byeee xxxx