DIARY OF SWEET ROSES

It’s one of those days, you know the kind? It’s about twenty to seven in the evening, and I have just sat down to talk with you, with a very very weak cup of coffee. I never go to the coffee machine as like the jar rubbish as my family call it. But today, because I’m so shattered, I decided to be lazy and use the machine and yes, it was on empty. So whilst my room would normally be filled with the fragrance of coffee and the smooth taste would flow as caffeine sent alert signals to my brain to tell me to wake up as well as relax, instead I’m like, whatever, as long as it’s wet. Smile.

 

So, again, must write this so fast, as teen due in in half an hour and he has already told me three times he’s starving. After yesterday’s amusing blog to you all…. Today I fixed him a sandwich for his lunch. So before work he ate it and ran to work I did think, he will never survive four hours without eating? I was right, oh my word the texts? Does this mean he is still growing?

 

I have been doing my volunteering work today and have written another load of press releases to go out. I got two notifications that I was going to get two stories published. This is good. That makes about five in two weeks. I wrote about eight. Tomorrow another two interviews case studies then write for more press releases. In between another blood test in the morning and then a visit from a tiny man… With tools…. Some would say he was electric and others cute. As long as he doesn’t electrocute me.

 

Listening to the football on the radio, not by choice but family want it on and there is a minute’s applause for those poor victims who suffered in Turkey with the . . . .. .. .. … …

I won’t swear.

 

Funny isn’t it, we used to give a minute’s silence but now clapping. Is this because people now days are not respectable enough to keep quiet? Also, no way that was a minute? Tonight Portugal will play Poland. My prediction as you know, I’m such an expert on the footy, smile, well, I think Portugal will win 2 1. The Polish keeper is wearing bright yellow boots, so the Portuguese players will be able to see him. Haha.

 

I was glad to know that England came home to shame we are so forgiving when it comes to football, well, not this time.

 

I managed to get an appointment for our solicitor to do our wills, so at least that will be out of the way. Hub and I will venture out to town and hopefully get that done.  

 

I need my holiday now. We are staying in a luxurious house someone we know in France and flying with Hubs points he accumulated from when he travelled abroad a lot with work so will be OK only trouble is, we are struggling to find a caring home for our Little Fella, who will be able to give him one hundred per cent attention as he will suffer without Hub, honestly, if I take him in the garden to groom him, he has a panic attack and runs to look for Hub as soon as the door is open to get back into the house. He is such a happy darling and loves to please. Hub says he thinks he knows who is free that week and may ask. I really wish we were taken him with us, but not sure he would cope for all those hours flying and in the airport. Though part of me thinks that he will be happier doing that than being left.

 

Today is raining and sunny at the same time, the roses in the garden smell amazing so sweet. Our apple tree is still alive..

 

 OK, dinner calls and I’m not cooking what I cooked for poor teen yesterday, do you know Bloggets, you have been reading and laughing at that blog, ninety views today on my cooking skills from yesterday…

Later with love.

STATS

First the stats for this month then the stats in total. Thank you and please share and come again. You are important and very welcome.

United States	1448
United Kingdom	1125
Germany	143
Mauritius	122
South Africa	68
Australia	60
India	41

Portugal

39

Canada

27

France

24

In total

United Kingdom	54465
United States	36103
Ukraine	7177
Russia	3570
Germany	3457
France	1127
Canada	1107
Australia	895
Mexico	668

YOU WILL HAVE NEVER COOKED THIS BEFORE

Good afternoon Bloggets.

Well a very quick blog from me. Let’s see if I can? Normally when I say that I go on forever. You know me once I start to talk, I can’t stop. Well, little time, but must tell you about the hu’u’u’uge

 Mistake I made today.

 

I went for a meeting turned off my phone and on my return, I had so many missed calls and messages. Well, I didn’t have time to answer them all so went right onto my lap top to write things down before I forgot the information I had been earlier given. I had another interview to do, a case study to write and a press release. In the middle of all of this, I got a phone call from someone urgently wanting to know if Hub was going to work tomorrow? em, yes, I am sure he is, he has not booked a holiday, but some weeks he works one day at home, but never on a Thursday, so I presumed he was. Then I received a text asking me to check and make sure. Well, trying to call Hub was impossible, he just didn’t pick up but he was in Peterborough and I knew he had a meeting at a fire station, don’t ask. I didn’t… So was he at work tomorrow or not? This person kept ringing it was embarrassing. Then Teen text. One word. “Chicken.”

 

So was he saying I was a coward? No, he wanted me to put chicken in the oven. He can’t text from work hence the short and some would say rather demanding and abrupt text. Haha.

 

I rushed into the kitchen, took a dish out put frozen chicken in the oven, yes, you read correctly. I have never ever put frozen chicken in the oven, but on this bag, teen reassures me that is says forty minutes from frozen and he has been eating this stuff for weeks so all OK.

 

Well, I washed my hands and rushed back to my lap top to answer another important email and after about ten minutes I had that sinking feeling… You know what feeling I’m on about? That kind of feeling that every person without sight has been through in their lives and if they have not had such a delightful experience, believe me, it’s coming… So, the question in my head. “Oh

What exactly

Had

I put in

The oven

 

As my work was saved and I untangled myself from what seemed a mass of wires, with my phone on charge, my earphones and my lap top cable. I rushed to the kitchen. No, I would not be so stupid? Would I? Answer number three I think;

 I was, so stupid.

 

There was no smell at all coming from the oven. May be it’s too early?  No, as I opened the oven door, it was confirmed. Yes, I need a holiday.

 

Let me explain Bloggets. Now don’t laugh too loud especially if you are in an open office… In the bottom of my freezer, there are two bags. Now my Son buys these gross chicken bits… What bit of the chicken they are I’m keeping out of that one? But the amount he eats I’m not buying chicken breasts every single day. As this is for a snack or lunch, not his main meal.

 

So these bits are small. As is the things in the other bag. Right next to the chicken.

And yes, my fears were proven to be true. As I removed the lid from the pot, I dug around with the fork. Surprisingly they were still solid. How? How was this even possible? The oven was quite high. I was baking hahahehe. Oh no, I can’t believe I’m telling you this.

Hold onto your stomachs

Ice cubes.

OK, laugh away. Hahahaha. At first I cried inside, how stupid was I?

Teen had a tiny gap in his calendar of a lunch hour. So the meal had to be cooked and he had to get back out for his volunteering. I totally spoiled everything. How stupid. Just I was trying to do so many jobs at once.

 

Well, teen didn’t starve. And all well in the end, just less ice cubes in the freezer now. Smile.

 

I wrote two very dark poems today they are on my blog page if  you are reading this blog from a group I’m in on line, you can go directly to my blog page as I have not published the poems on my groups as they are as dark as dark can be. 

 

It has rained all day and it is so cold too. Going to go now and start the housework for the day it’s so late in the day, but I have been at my lap top and phone all day. Hub is in late from work as he is miles away in Peterborough, and Teen in at the same time but then out I am sure with his friend. As for his other friend, it’s so dreadfully sad, his friend is only nineteen and his poor Mum is dying of cancer. My heart is breaking for the lad as he couldn’t be a nicer young man. Teen is due to go on holiday with this lad and many more, the holiday is in about ten days and his Mum has been in hospital for two weeks. From experience with cancer, I don’t think she will be in much longer. It sounds awful, but I hope she hangs on till the lad has his holiday, though teen isn’t sure he will go. What on earth is going through the lady’s head now? Or will she have so much medication she won’t be thinking normally? Either way, I just want a miracle to happen and she pulls through.

 

Later with love.

A VIEW FROM MY WINDOW BY FIONA CUMMINGS

A VIEW FROM MY WINDOW

BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Voices pass my window

And traffic goes on its way

Same view same sounds each day

What is their story

Where are they going?

Splashing boots in rain

Silent pattering when it’s snowing

Are they in pain

Or excited for their journey?

What are they wearing?

What colours are in fashion

Same sounds same view

If only they knew

How lucky they are

To be able to get in a car

And drive to their destination

Go on a vocation

Without any thought

Participate in a sport

Or activity with their neighbours and friends

Rather than be put into a group of so called people like you

We have to pretend

We are comfortable with our view

Or people will avoid us

As no one likes a fuss

Nothing to spoil their perfect life

Keep in the background out of sight

Oh look, screeching breaks and dreadful sounds

Look to the ground

Has someone been knocked over?

Shall I run out to assist?

Only to learn almost a crash but instead the bumpers kissed

Face all flushed

Why did I rush?

On still days when rain and winds aren’t heard

I have to go out to see what I need to wear

Because the view from my window

Well, there is nothing there

 

© Fiona Cummings

HOPELESS BY FIONA CUMMINGS

HOPELESS

BY FIONA CUMMINGS

I’m simply a hopeless case

A number without a face

I look in the mirror

And see a disgrace

But what do I do about it?

Everything I start I quit

Pains in my stomach with grief

My life I’m in disbelief

How could that be

And why me?

How to move on in life

Without facing challenges and strife

Which way to go

I just don’t know

Others aren’t telling me

Or giving me the key

Where is that door

And once more

If I find it where next?

I feel so angry, so vex

Pains in my chest

Tears rusted

I’m busted

Revealing all elements for all to see

I just want to be free

From the black cloak

See through the smoke

I don’t want to choke

As I pull off the fingers which forbid me from breathing

And I sigh a relief as the bony limbs are leaving

Another stronger hand replaces

Shadows chases

Into nettles

Where are the petals?

It’s icy cold

I’m afraid

No hand to hold

Pushed into the grave

To my pain I’m a slave

I just want to cut the chains

To my soul I lose

And the devil gains

 

© Fiona Cummings

DIARY OF THE DRIPS

I’m not sure what has gone on today Bloggets, but we have had views from Mauritius, which is lovely but guess how many?  129

 

I think that is the record from any other country apart from the UK and US in one day, so who are you Bloggets? Will you return and how did you find me? Oh I hope I receive an answer? If so I will let you know. Perhaps it’s someone on their holiday and they are having a day of blogs, haha.  Well, what better way to spend the day, smile… OK, enough cheeky answers already.

 

Oh my word, today has been a nightmare. My washing machine has flooded. So I had no choice but let it run through its cycle and keep flooding of course I used towels and mops but it just kept coming just like the weather outside. It’s pouring. So what to do? Well, after trying to call washing machine repair people, as not all plumbers can fix washing machines. They were all closed for the day.

 

So teen got our tools out, oh yes Bloggets, we have a tool box. It’s called a kitchen drawer. Haha. A fork and a knife were used it took him about thirty five minutes, I have never seen my Son so keen to fix anything well not that wasn’t paying him money. He used to fix IPhones, he had his little business going for a while. Oh bless him, I think he has fixed it? I’m so delighted if he has, the big test I’m going to put another load in. One of poor Hubs shirts was a casualty though with a huge rip in it. And it had nothing to do with an amorous blonde…

 

OK, we have tennis on the radio now, and Teen has just gone out for the night, just local to a friend’s house.

 

Everyone needs to calm down in the UK over leaving the European Union, really, friends are falling out as are families, we are out, get used to it and move on, Rome wasn’t built in a day. This will take time. As for Scotland leaving the UK, well, that is their choice, I’m fed up of being blackmailed by people. If someone doesn’t want to be here, then bye bye.

 

Let all the industry come back to the UK, and our farmers may have a chance now to sell their meat and dairy products rather than getting it from another country. I could go on forever about the benefits of us leaving the UK but quite frankly, I’m bored of it all now, let’s just wait. Other countries are sad as they won’t be getting a fortune from us, sorry about that but for once Britain needs to put itself first.

 

No more on the subject. With love till next time from A wet England. X

DIARY OF TONIGHT

 Good evening, well Monday is almost at an end. Thank goodness. It wasn’t a good start, but just had news that has made my heart skip a beat. Something is on the horizon but have to tread with such care, as if walking on a thread and have to be so careful not to break the thread which is made from fine gold, but it’s the only way to get across the river full of crocodiles. Not wanting to go in that muddy river just need to get to the other side, if I do, what will be there? Long lush grasses with leafy pathways and crystal lakes where the air is so fresh with flowers full of fragrance and a rainbow of colours beyond my imagination. All of my life I have tried to find that rainbow. I get teased and glimpses of it at times, but have never found it to the point where by I can sit on a log and just delight in the wonders of the seven colours. And whilst my mind was allowed to dream and paint a picture of a subject of poignant interest for a while, now I shall come away from my inner space called my head, and some would say there is a lot of space in there, smile, I shall tell you right now I’m trying to type whilst biting my fingernails, why am I doing that? Typing? Haha, no, biting my nails, because England are playing football on the TV against Iceland, oh I wanted the score to be 2 1, to us of course, but no, Iceland had a different idea so far, it’s two, to Iceland and one to us.  

 

I can’t stand football, but if England are playing, suddenly the imaginary flag comes out and the desire to scream at the TV screen comes out in the Fifi household.

 

Hub is unwell sadly has been for a couple of days. And both him and I know what brought this episode on, hopefully it will be all resolved soon and he will go back to having his normal pains, not the cruel ones he is suffering with now.

 

Dinner was a disaster tonight, Teen loved it so much, but Hub didn’t and I was on the fence, when I should have been at the table, haha, joking, it’s a saying in the UK If you are on the fence about something, you are not sure which way to jump off. So I kind of wasn’t sure if I liked it or not.

 

Well, thankfully my own eye pain has dissolved gone back to being just the normal but when I see poor Hub like he is, I know my little pain is just that, little.

 

Hub is so much in pain he can’t move the right side of his face. I hate seeing him like this. It makes me want to cry for him. He has it all of the time but stress brings it on and he had an episode over the weekend which hopefully is over with now. He had to interview someone for a job today as ever he was professional but he said he was in agony right through it.

 

Teen is getting ready to go out and our grocery shopping will be coming soon, then hopefully inspiration for tomorrows evening meal. Tonight, I made a cheese sauce, pasta and a tomato sauce with parmesan with black pepper. I did the family fish with it and I had some kind of Quorn which is to represent gammon steak, smile. Sounds revolting, really I found it OK, but both Hub and I are not fans of pasta. Just today as I said in an earlier blog has been one of trials and tribulations so I was not in the mood to deliver Le Cordon Bleu gastronomy. Haha, I hear you ask, when are you ever? OK, you know me too well.

 

 As I write, we are heading for part two of the football after half time. What on earth will the result be?

 

I’m pleased that I was able earlier to do an interview over the phone write a case study and sent the necessary mails off, to complete some of the things I had on my to do list, as for ironing, em, nope. I guess there is always tomorrow, just sometimes I go back to the bad old days when everything had to be done and if it wasn’t it would reflect badly on myself

 

Words before I go thanks to some great people.

“The time to relax, is when you don’t have time for it.”

 Sydney J Harris

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”

William James

My fave, “A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.”

Aesop

Most of the stress in my life is not because of what there is to do but what I have not done. Smile.

 

Tomorrow with love

 

DIARY OF MONDAY BLUE'S

Good afternoon Bloggets. Oh I wish I could sit in my conservatory and have a relaxing chat to you all, but the time has ran away with the day and I have so much to do and so little time. One of those days, a day which started last night. No sleep because of it and this morning I didn’t even hear my Husband leave for work, something I feel guilty about. My phone was flat and this is how I tell the time. So go with my body clock and continue to sleep or get up, without sleep plug in my phone and then I am awake for the day. Well I wish I had done the latter as now the guilt I am feeling is ridiculous. How good it would be to be free of guilt? I have so much to do with my volunteering and work as well as so many phone calls and that is before housework. I have three hours to do it all in then tonight I am volunteering again. This morning I have been counselling and that never puts me in a good fettle. I am drained. Emotionally. Someone annoyed me this weekend but we dealt with it and now will move on. I guess I look like death today, I for sure feel like it. One of those days when I didn’t want to get out of bed.

 

My asthma is so bad, Even Hub who has never suffered with Asthma had a touch of it last week. It’s that dam road near us. The traffic is never ending and there are two times during the day when it’s at a standstill and you really need a blooming mask when going out in the garden. With it being warm, we have the windows open in the house and the bad air is getting in Hub wants badly to move. He was hinting to move to where he works, but no way I don’t want to do that. Why? Because the area we live in is a good one and we are near to everything. OK, most places we don’t go to, but if we need them, we are near. Also I have some lovely friends and the best neighbours here, if we moved we would never ever get that again, but our health is so important. I want to wait until I am so lucky and have my books published, then once I’m an acclaimed author, I can live anywhere. If we move to where Hub works, we would be too far from our besties and our tiny family. Though I can see Hubs situation. He has a long journey every day, he left his last job where he got a great wage and had such respect and say among his colleagues, because of the travel, mind you, he could be in japan one day, Australia the next and two days later, America. A bit different than the two and a half hours he travels each day now. It is much less pay, and I know he finds it more difficult as he doesn’t have the say he had with his last roll, but it’s work and for a person to find work at such a level who is without sight, is almost impossible, no matter of experience or qualifications. At the end of the day, of course we live in a sighted environment and it will never be equal.

 

OK, I’m now going to the office and will burry myself in work until it’s time to come out and put on my head of a housewife. Smile. The week can only get better and my mood can too, right? Hopefully I will receive a lovely email from one of my dear Bloggets, she always cheers me up. So as the wind outside blows my chimes in the garden the monkeys in our local zoo play and my little Waggatail of a guide dog sleeps still exhausted from her weekend of fun, I shall love you and leave you but hopefully, not for too long. I hope to get my life back to normal soon and be able to write blogs like I used to, take time and research as well as have time to write out of the box, my favourite place. X

E.L.O

Oh my goodness. Listen, I have never been a fan of this guy, this group, but tonight we were listening to Glastonbury music festival and who was performing? Jeff Lynnes E.L.O.

 

Wow whoop wowwoopwow

Seriously, they were brilliant. I’m buzzing I want to dance if you can watch it on the net, please do We have a great speaker system so the sound was wonderful I bet he didn’t do drugs as he apparently looked the same as he did forty years ago. Oh he is stunning. I wish we could get tickets? Can’t find how or where? I will keep looking as Hub would dream to go, he loves them so much always has but me? I’m a newbie.

 

Poor Teen trying to sleep. He has no chance. Well, as we go to bed, Teen will be going out, he may come home earlier if he is still sleepy… It’s only about eight in the evening. Oh I want to dance. He has a new album out, must check it out, but I bet it isn’t as good as his oldies. He sings the same as he did years ago too. I mean, how old is this guy? He sounds fifty. He must be in his seventies? Oh tickets please? Where from I have asked my Brother I just hope we can see him live with his orchestra.

 

REFLECTIONS OF THE WEEKEND

Good day Bloggets, my dogs know they are going for a free run. Oh the sounds coming from Wagga and as for poor LF, oh bless him. He was crying he has perfected that learning from Waggatail how to squeak. So Hub told Little Fella to get in his bed, I felt sorry for him, as he is just talking saying let me out of this boring house and let me find those dogs to play with? So now he is in his bed and laying there, oh I want to cuddle him. Naughty Waggs is by the front door making her sounds whilst LF is being a good boy lying in bed all quiet and confused as if it’s going to be just the Wagging one who is going for a walk.

 

Well, I wrote that last paragraph a few hours ago. Since then, the dogs have come back clean which is a good thing. Hub and I have chilled in our garden along with Teen for a while having a lovely chat. Teen went to the gym and Hub and I prepared dinner. I made them chicken with spices, mash potatoes, sprouts, carrots and Yorkshire Puddings with gravy, to my American Bloggets, our gravy is different to yours. Gosh when I went to the states, and I was asked did I want gravy with my biscuits? Say what? Hahaha. Biscuits in England are to Americans cookies. The biscuits I had in the US were what I would call kind of a scone. The gravy was a strange thing, like a sauce, you got white gravy too.

 

Well, we ate our dinner, but this is a funny story, are you ready for it? Hub and I were outside saying we think we should throw away our microwave. We don’t use it, but then Hub said that Teen did. So we said we would keep it then. Well, shouts from the kitchen.

“Mum. Why is the microwave not working?”” haha. I went in, told him he mustn’t have the plug in properly, oh well, that did it. I was being patronising. Haha. So must be a fuse. I told the little monkey not to take a fuse from something else, I would buy some fuses tomorrow. I came out again. I heard “Mum. It’s not the fuse.””

Me, really, how do you know?

Teen. “Because I removed the fuse from the chocolate machine and put it in the kettle and it’s not working.””

Oh… … … . . . Right.

 

I didn’t blow a fuse… I kept calm and asked Teen if he would please put the fuse back?

 

So, I made a lovely dinner and as I was cooking it, Teen announced that he was going out to have a game of golf. Then as he was driving away, I suddenly remembered we don’t have a microwave. So what was I to do with Teens dinner? Keep it in the oven, OK, but how long would that keep hot for? And bear in mind, I made Yorkshires, they can’t keep warm.

 

It’s amazing just how much you rely on something that you thought you wouldn’t miss? This morning I was in the shower, I said to Hub, oh, in the mornings I like a cooler shower. I can’t stand hot water. Well, seriously Bloggets, just as I said that, the blooming shower water went ice cold. I thought it was Hub being his mischievous self. No it wasn’t him running the sink tap, so what was wrong with our water? Well, Hub went to investigate, the water in the tank had gone below the line, how does he know? When we got the boiler fitted, Hub asked the guy to show him how far from the top the water had to be. As for me, I wouldn’t even know where the tank was. Hahahah. Or the fuse box and that was the other thing he did, he flicked the fuse box, I think the microwave had flipped and blown the fuses in the electric box.

 

Well, it’s been a lovely weekend we have all really enjoyed it. As it comes to an ending now, reflections. I had a caring note from my sister in law, and lots of lovely messages for our Anniversary. We had a great day yesterday and today and our dogs are satisfied. The weather has been beautiful but now as I write it’s raining. Also windy. Hub now listening to his favourite radio drama and our kitchen is tidy after our dinner. So before I have to iron the shirts for the week, I will write to my Bloggets and then chill for a few hours before that task. Tomorrow I have not looked at my diary yet; I do have some volunteering work to do quite a lot which will lead into the evening as I have to make a phone call to a guy who works as a teacher. And I as ever have phone calls to make for our home life. We are writing our will. Something I hate doing, but has to be done. My advice to you all, do it before you are ill. We have one already, it just needs changing, amending. I know of a lot of people who didn’t leave wills and they left their family in a right state.

 

Some questions before I go.

1.       What do you call a male ladybird?

2.       When a dog food is new and improved taste, who tastes it?

3.       Why didn’t Noah swat the two mosquitoes?

OK I have lost the plot… two cups of coffee today, see what it does to me? Smile.

 

SELFISH

We all have selfish people we know, either relatives or so called friends. It is our choice if we want to bother with them much longer. I for one have had enough. Someone we know has gone too far now and to say I was cross earlier, is an understatement. She is a cowardly selfish dreadful spoiled person who should know better, but obviously doesn’t and has the thoughts and care of an egotistical self-conceited, however you want to put it, brat.

 

Someone I love dearly has been hurt for the last time. I have tried to be the in-between for years but now I have washed my hands. We have had a lovely day, and I’m not going to let this person spoil our day. So onwards and upwards, but it’s awful for those of you who can’t move on. The only way I can is because I have lived a life of experiences, most I wouldn’t wish on the worst person in the world, but they were lessons. I have studied lessons of life and think I must be entitled now to a masters in anthropology.

 

OK, so if you have someone like the above in your life, I could tell you to get rid of them as you don’t want them, need them either as whilst you are being dragged down, they are not giving you a second thought. So, you have two choices move on, learn the word no and mean it, or, just drowned yourselves in some happy facts and stories. Here are some facts that I hope will let you know that there are so many good people in the world, and you can find them, you don’t need people who walk all over you or feel they can say anything to you.

The actor Jim Cummings… “No relation.” Puts on Winnie the Pooh voice and calls children in hospitals who are really ill, and tells them how brave they are and how much he loves them. Isn’t that so sweet?

 

The actors who voiced Mickey and Minnie mouse, were married in real life.

 

A male penguin spends a long time looking for the best pebble to give to his special love. Did you know they also mate for life? Cute.

 

I hope that those who right now are going through pain with others in their lives, will wake up tomorrow and all will be well? Find peace in your heart and clean your wounds. We can only try and if we try so many times and fail as many, then time to move on. Hopefully one day when that person causing you grief will come back to you and apologise. I hope so with this person. As this person could have been loved very much.

 

“We all have dreams, just remember sometimes the journey getting there will be better than the destination.”

 

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/canadian-teen-worker-agreed-dance-elderly-customer/

 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Good day Bloggets. Well, the past two days have been so emotional. We are not in the European union now, but we are still in Europe and will continue to enjoy one an others company and cultures. Just we will be putting more money into our own country. I hope this will mean we will be able to give more financial help into things in the UK like our hospitals, schools and other public    facilities. I hope now we will buy more British goods too. So many company’s industry and jobs have been sold abroad, leaving our workers without jobs. Livelihoods have gone down the toilet;

 

One café made me laugh, if we stayed in the EU they were offering a croissant and because we left, they served a full English breakfast. Haha. Well, firstly, after I enjoyed the croissants in France, I can’t stand the ones we get served in the UK. So give me a full English any day. Though, for me without the meat. Once the panic is over, people won’t know any difference abroad, Governments will though, as they won’t be getting handouts. At the end of the day, we are all people so we should all respect each other.

 

Well we have had a lovely day, a real family day with Teen. It’s our anniversary so Hub and I exchanged gifts, I bought Hub an iron basket with a wooden base, the basket has tall handles and iron leaves around it. Last year Hub bought me a long bread basket, so this kind of goes with it. I also got him a huge gift to open, when it came through the week, I didn’t know where to hide it. Teen carried it to the garage. Well Hub was in their last night getting the tub of dog food out. I followed him in, he asked why I was going in there? I said there was something I had to do… He actually put his hand on the tall box but thankfully I spoke to him just at that point and he was distracted and moved along to find the dog food.

 

I was warned when I bought it, that it had a picture on the side of what it was, well that would mean nothing to Hub, but you would have thought he would have asked what it was last night? So, what is it? A wooden sun lounger. It also said where I got it from that there was no assembly required. Gosh they do tell lies. So Teen got stuck into it we spent most of the day outside making this and enjoying it, Well Hub enjoying it, me liking that he was so happy and relaxed. Teen went to the gym and then football, then returned to start a BBQ that I had half prepared. Hub bought me some fizz that we had with our BBQ and large strawberries. He also got me something that I have wanted since I was a little girl. I never asked my Mum for anything as I always felt guilty about her spending money on me with going to Russia I knew from a child, money was a problem. But that didn’t stop me dreaming. My bestie Trix had one of these and today was at last my turn. So, what was it?

 A Paddington Bear. Oh I love him. He is so cute. I also got lots of tall pink roses. So spoiled and I really enjoyed the BBQ.

 

Teen is a fabulous cook. We had baby beetroots and salads with sausages for the family with burgers and they had chicken kebabs, sweet potatoes Some lovely fresh bread too.      

 

We ended the BBQ with putting lavender on and the smell was lovely. It was sunny and a most enjoyable day. Thankfully the weather was lovely.

 Teen chilling and going out with his friend to their house and meeting up with others for a few hours. I’m so happy, and of course so in love. We have a couple of cards people kindly sent us, not sure who they are from yet, will have to either ask someone with sight or try to scan. Until later with love.

 

 

DIARY OF A VICTORIAN AFTERNOON TEA

Good afternoon Bloggets. Gosh what a day? Skip by this morning and fast forward to this afternoon. Hub and I went to a beautiful hotel for afternoon tea. Oh my, we entered the place through those revolving doors, haha, all went well with me and Waggatail, I got through and waited, and waited… Well, no Hub and the Little Fella.

 

Heck, it was quiet and I seamed to be in a huge room without staff, customers or doors? Smile. Seriously, and more important, where was Hub? Well at last he came through the doors saying that LF wasn’t too keen on coming through the doors, he is huge though, well, LF not Hub… Well, kind of. Hehehehehe.

 

Then we both stood, hoping for a member of staff to come to us, or someone ask if they could help? No one was there, were we in a derelict hotel? Were we in the right place? Then we heard a person coming through the side door so off we went to investigate. Got through the door. Hub in front with LF and Waggatail guiding me wagging her tail like there was no tomorrow.

 

Hub told me there were steps. How did he know? Because LF sits at the bottom and top of steps, bless him. So up we went and then a lovely gent came to rescue us. Oh it reminded me of the most hilarious story about when Hub and I went hunting for the restaurant in a hotel we were staying in some years ago, oh now it was the most brilliant cringe worthy story ever. So, Hub and I decided to be two independent blind people and head off in the hotel for breakfast. Now we had never been to the restaurant before or the hotel for that matter.  But it was when Hub had his wonder dog Long Chops. Where could we go wrong? What with wonderful LC and our sense of smell for cooked breakfast? We would listen for the sounds of china cups and cutlery, easy, right?

Em. No. not quite.

 

I have my white cane, I decided I was the new Fifi who could, would, and should. Hub asked me if I was sure I wanted to lead the way?

Oh yes, of course, it will be a piece of cake… Or slice of toast…

 

So there was a door. I was sure that would be the way. But it was closed. Well, not locked so I opened it and proceeded to encourage Hub to follow. He asked me if I were sure? I said yes, come on. He asked me again, but then agreed it was the right way.

 

Well, I felt the walls closing in on me but it was my early days of getting around as a person without sight. For some years before I tried but didn’t have the teacher of my Husband that I had then and now.

 

As I felt something to my left and put out my hand. Hub asked. “Fiona, I don’t think this is right?”

Well neither did I. and as I put my hand out to the left I felt something that you do not want to feel when you are looking for the restaurant in a hotel.

 

A bed.

Oh yes Bloggets. We had walked into a bedroom. Hahahahahahaha

 

Question is, was there anyone in the bed? If so picture the scene?

You are just waking up and in your room walks in a blind lady with a cane and following her was a blind guy with a rather confused looking guide dog? Hahaha. So what did we do? Turned on our heel and walked out. I was purple

 

We did find the restaurant and just hoped that we would eat and leave before the people from the room came downstairs.

 

Not as bad as that today so we were escorted to our table and I did a Fifi thing, but no way I am telling what I did, may be one day in another blog when I’m feeling brave. Oh my word Bloggets, you will not believe what I did? Anyway, jog on and when we were taken to our table, oh my goodness. The seats, were so luxurious. There was another group of people at the next table we knew as Hub had arranged for them to be there too. And at our table a lovely guy we know. So then the manager came and spoke to us. He was a good man who told us that the hotel was one hundred and fifty years old and it has just had millions spent on it. We were sitting in the Victorian room which looked over to the cathedral. Oh the room was huge and airy. The feel of the place was just the best, so relaxing and my imagination was taking me back to people who would have frequented that room over a hundred years ago.

 

If I could go into a time machine and go back to the days back, then? What would I be like and what would I be wearing? What sounds would I be hearing? I guessed fine china cups and there would be some kind of music from the Victorian era. People would be in clothes of fine quality men in top hats and ladies in long dresses with long gloves and hats. The conversations would be so different. I painted a picture in my mind of the colours. Reds purples and white laces with the fragrances of wood and possible cigarettes. Old fashioned perfumes of lavenders. One would eat in a different manner and everything would be so slow and methodical.

 

Well, back to real life. We had beautiful tea, leaf tea, I had lemon grass. Then a plate of savouries. Tartlets and a tiny glass of humus.

 

Then we were served with sandwiches followed by cream tea, so cream scones with jam and delectable dainty cakes of all kinds. As well as more tea drinking to be had.

 

Great conversation wonderful environment and a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon. A relatively smooth journey home and now reflections of our day, after a sleepless night waiting for the election results and buzzing from the results today, I really feel like this is a great new start for living.

EU IN OR OUT?

It’s way after the pumpkin hour, I must go to bed soon, but can’t just yet. I’m watching the TV the EU referendum results. My nerves are shot. It’s so close so far. Storms and heavy rain in London have caused trouble and some polling stations have had to be moved, but that is not putting the UK public off voting, it’s the highest amount of votes for years and years. People are out in huge numbers. I went with Hub and Teen and there was a steady flow of voters. When it’s an election to see who will run our country, the polling stations are so quiet. Well, not today. People are so passionate either way.

 

Well we will get a rough idea soon, but will know for sure at seven in the morning. Exciting but scary too. And if we vote out, well, watch out Europe because that will be a domino effect, if we are out, I believe all the other countries will follow. OK, I’m off now, I’m seriously shaking inside for this result. I’m absolutely buzzing and I hope when I wake up, if I sleep, I will be delighted with what the headlines read. Until then, nighty night my Dear Bloggets from all over the world. Hugs.

 

UK EU VISION

It’s a big day in the United Kingdom. History will be made. The EU referendum takes place today in the UK. We will learn tomorrow if we will remain a part of the EU. I must say, I am very anxious. It will split the country for sure, no matter what we vote, people feel so strongly about this. I feel it is the biggest decision we will make in Britain. Shamefully my Son isn’t voting. A ridiculous decision on his behalf. He says his vote won’t count. If everyone said that, we would go back to having no choice when it comes to voting.

 

Our closest polling station is about a four minute walk away, but guess what? We have to take a drive, it’s an eight minute drive and impossible to get there from here to there by foot. Across the road from us, about eleven steps from our drive, they can vote in our local place four minutes walk, or one minute by car, but there is a line where by our constituency is different to our neighbours. Crazy.

 

Well, the birds are singing and a dull sun is out. Boy wonder is up ready to go for the day so this means awful music is also playing. I’m wearing something I would not go out in, just don’t feel right, they are new three quarter trousers but my Son told me I look as if I should be on the reality show Jeremy Kyle. Haha, Thanks Son. I hate that program, if you have been fortunate to miss it, it features families who are normally rather loud angry and know a lot of bad language. And I didn’t know this, but obviously enjoy the same kind of clothes that I am wearing today… Smile, I must say, I do feel enormous in them. A little like a giant elephant performing circus tricks upright on her back legs.

 

I’m happy with the volunteering work I have been given of late, had some great results. Got lots of stories in the press this week and next. Attaching pictures is something I’m not keen on. As not always sure what the picture is of. So have to double check that. My screen reader won’t tell me what pictures are of. Only words, so no images at all. Gosh, what it would be like to see again? I’m sitting here, I know it’s sunny because I was out with my dog and felt the sun, it wasn’t burning and that is how I knew there were clouds. The air is different. I can’t see out from my window, I have it open so I can hear the birds. I’m at the front of the house, the traffic is in the distance, if I were at the back, I wouldn’t be able to hear properly. I’m touch typing, each letter I write has a man’s voice telling me what letters I’m writing. And he keeps to the same tone but when I write a capital letter, his voice goes higher as though someone has stood on his toe. Haha.

 

I can feel the walls at each side of me in my room. Just by hearing the echoes of the room bouncing off the walls projecting an audio silence… Sounds ridiculous I know and when I first went blind, I would mock at such descriptions.

 

I know I have plants in my room, but it’s been a few days since I looked at them as in feel them, so are they alive? Sometimes when I have flowers, I go to put water in them and they are dead. I get all embarrassed as how long have they been like that in my window? As I water them twice in a week. So it could be one day, or three. If the latter, that’s not a good look…

 

If I could see now, see my screen, not need to hear this voice. See pictures be able to attach them and post on my blogs like sighted people do. I would be able to look out of the window and wave to passing neighbours, smile and receive the gift of a smile back, I say gift as that is what it is. Those who can’t see, if they don’t go out every day, somewhere, even just for a loaf of bread, they miss so much that sighted people would never think about but if suddenly they were to lose their sight, they would start to think what they had and miss it.

 

As for my Son, if I could see, I would look at myself in the mirror, and run to get changed wrap my trousers up and post them off to our zoo for those rescued elephants Not that I’m advocating animals in clothes, smile.

 

One of my favourite Bloggets asked me yesterday about posting the video of my Hub and myself singing and playing at our friend’s wedding. I will try to pin my Son down at some point hopefully soon and ask if he can do this…. Another update, for those who kindly donated to my Husbands Just Giving fund to name a guide dog puppy after our beautiful Long Chops who died last year, we are still waiting for the paper work. Not sure how long it takes, but I will let you amazing people know as soon as I find out.

 

Before I go some words from me to you.

 “Kind thoughts are as important as kind words, as kindness is a plant where by the seeds are, our thoughts of kindness. And beautiful blooms are made with words of kindness.”

With that in mind, a bouquet costs money, showing kindness doesn’t and lasts longer than flowers!”

Fiona Cummings