SHE WAS, BUT BY FIONA CUMMINGS

SHE WAS, BUT
BY FIONA CUMMINGS

She was a dancer
Some would say a bit of a chancer
Put her fingers in every sticky pudding
Got the guys, so good looking
A bit of a dare devil
When she entered a room
The men would swoon
She was so tall and elegant
With long auburn hair
There was no equivalent
Without looking, people knew she was there
Her perfume so sweet
She was the one your parents wanted to meet
Sparkling emerald eyes
Facial expression full of surprise
The way she walked
Her manner and how she talked
She was a real cutie
Turning into a true beauty
But as the years stole her looks
And her dancing was only seen through books
She removed all the mirrors in her house
Her lack of confidence made her like a mouse
No more party girl
No more ballerina swirl
Her hair without curls
She wasn’t one of the girls
Her red became pepper
And peaches and cream like leather
Her tall straight back was bent
Her men were all spent
Around her beautiful jewel like eyes
You could see the lines
Her rose bud mouth
Had to be defined
She was a shadow of what was so fine
But what she had left, you can’t buy
Wisdom, knowledge and an interesting life
She’d been a daughter, girlfriend and wife
A Mother and Grandmother, friend and Aunt
Though now on the outside not so beautiful and bent
Deep within
An angel, heaven sent
Sit with her and have a coffee
Ask her anything and just see
The words will flow so poignant
Her shaking hands will need ointment
Her days of fun now are full of appointments
Doctors today and hospital tomorrow
But she will make you laugh
And give kind words for your sorrow
She will teach you things
That you never knew
Those long legs now so blue
Walked the lands
Shook hands
Full of gold and fame
Real life
She has played every game
Just sit with her and ask away
You will fill a full day
When she has long gone away
You will remember
The dancer, the chancer, the mother
She was, but!
© Fiona Cummings

THE TOOTHPASTE FAIRY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good morning dear Bloggets. It’s sunny and the sound of blackbirds singing their breakfast tunes mixed with the noises from my kitchen of screwdrivers and sores? Work getting done this is good. It means progress. Now my Waggatail has brought me her noisiest toy, the sounds of Spring, in my house.

As today is the last day of spring in the UK, meteorologically speaking. we have had cooling’s of the water in the equatorial pacific, smile, basically there are wide changes in our weather. That is called La Niña. Origin? Spanish meaning the girl child. It’s been a real mix of weather this spring, we have had a tiny bit of snow, lots of rain over a short time, just before we were into a drought and we have also had the hottest day of the year so far. Last week it reached 28° and yesterday, 11°
No wonder people are getting colds.

My friends Mum came yesterday with a beautiful hanging basket for me. She took mine last year and said she would fill it and fill it she has. Bless her She wouldn’t take any money either and I hate that. I feel really uncomfortable. So, I will buy her a bunch of nice flowers. It was funny as she said she was going to the garden centre and I asked her to get me a rose, I handed her the money for it but she said that she would take me. Great, even better. It’s for a pot I have at my front door. I said to her it’s a mess. Well I had to laugh as she turned it round and said, no it’s just the sticky label that has been on when you bought it. Haha. I said, no, I meant the soil…
She then tried to move my stuff in the garden I said no stop, please leave it. Our front garden is all we have left where we know where anything is right now. Seriously, last night you should have seen me ironing? When my Mum was ill I used to iron for her she hated watching me and used to look through her fingers I’m not quite sure what she thought she could do if I was about to burn myself, so why she didn’t just go in another room? She used to say she can’t bear watching me iron knowing I’m blind. Well, who else was going to iron her and my Dads clothes and moreover mine and my ex’s?

Last night I had to lean over a box. A huge box, no, hang on, a huu’uu’uuge, box. To get to my ironing board. This is after I had to look for the plug which was buried and squeezed between two smaller boxes. I had 12 inches to iron as there were clothes at either side of the board. It was lethal. There was nowhere to put the iron when I was trying to place my Husbands shirt on to iron different parts. Okay, move the clothes? Where? I guess I could have put them on the bed in our room, that is the only place without anything on it. Then move them back. Haha, lazy Fi. Goodness knows what his shirt looks like for work today.

As soon as the shelves are put in my cupboards, I will be able to start to empty the boxes. I can’t wait, our landing where my ironing board sadly has a permanent place, is surrounded by boxes. Put them in your bedrooms I hear you say. I would, if I could, but they are full of well, boxes.

Now then, some spooky things have been going on of late in the Fifi household. Firstly, for two weeks, my Husband has been smelling smoke. Not from a log fire, but a cigarette. I couldn’t smell it. He kept insisting I must be able to. I said no, not at all. Then the other day, wow, gosh, I was eating a sandwich, When I smelt the strongest smell of smoke. When I turned to the left to get away from it, it was less of a smell but then when I looked slightly to the right, it hit me so badly I started to cough. I shouted for Hub. He came in he couldn’t smell anything. I said it’s my Mum. He said no it’s a man’s cigarette. I replied, my Mum used to smoke King sized cigarettes. Just like that smell. The times our Mums visit us, is when something awful is about to happen. Only once when we both together knew Hubs Mum was in the office where we were working, was when Hub was in between jobs and was worrying himself sick how we were going to manage. I walked to my Husband and together we knew our Mum was there. Straight away, we felt peace. I said to him it’s going to be fine. Your Mum is telling us. It was just a message I felt. Normally I never get the messages until it’s too late, she sadly slowly went away, and the next day he learned he had the job he applied for. The next twice she visited was to take our two dogs. As for my Mum, I haven’t felt her presence for so long. What s she trying to tell me? I wish I knew. I pray it’s not bad news. I hope it is just to say she’s watching out for us but it’s odd that she was with Hub for two weeks every couple of days. Me, only once

this is really odd. A brand new toothpaste from our ensuite cupboard has gone missing. I thought Boy Wonder took it. But then I remembered he had two in his bathroom. I asked him when he came in from work, he said no Mum, have you took ours? I said what? He said I had two toothpastes in the cup and now they are not there, but I found one in my soap bag when I went for my shaver that wasn’t there before. I said could it be ours? He said how? If you didn’t put it there, I certainly wouldn’t. What on earth is all that about? I asked him to look saying two couldn’t have gone missing. He said he has looked everywhere. As have we. Why would anyone want to take toothpaste? Gosh, just had a thought as I’m writing this. Remember all that bother Hub had with his tooth? He should have gone back as he still must have the infection and remember if spreads, it can be dangerous so much it can kill you. Well he isn’t in pain so he won’t go. I’m not surprised after all he went through with our really bad dentists. I can’t trust them as far as they can walk. But I wonder if my Mum is trying to tell him to go? Oh, I’m going to tell him, thing is, he hates anything to do with spirit or Psychic people. He believes in it all, but doesn’t want to. Same here, it’s not a gift

My eyes are odd today, my left eye feels really heavy. My right eye as if I have a cut in it. Since I had my cataract operation, I do feel as if my eyes are cut. I can even feel air in one of them at a time, oddly not both together.

I have written before about when I was going up in the lift for my operation. Just walking it was really strange. I had tears in my eyes. I was terrified. The prospect of being awake during surgery really filled me with fear. An old man with a walking stick placed his stick in his other hand to place one hand on my shoulder and he said. “You will be alright dear. I had one eye done last year, and now for my second. Wait to see how much difference it will make to your sight.””
Well that did it. It made me worse I started to cry like a baby. How embarrassing. I said. That’s the problem, I’m going for this operation and I will still be blind. Haha. Gosh what a wimp I was. I’m terrified of hospitals and Doctors even at our local GP. Especially when you get over forty, everything starts to go wrong. I had two major operations one when I was 41 and the other 42. I only was reunited with Hub when is as 41. Poor man, what had he let himself in for? I have never been right since. The first operation was barbaric and second thanks to kindness I went private and he saved my life.

Well I keep putting short sleeves on as it should be warm. But I’m so cold I’m going to put a long sleeved jumper on. This is crazy. It’s almost June.

Wherever you are right now, I hope you feel better than you hoped for. I will talk tomorrow. With love. X

A BOTTLE OF HOPE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

I’m buzzing right now. After hearing from two very kind people today. Firstly, a lady from Germany and secondly a gentleman from America, both have filled my heart with such hope. Hope is something that I have had to have all of my life an yet most times I find the thread of any hope rather thin. If in liquid form around my brain, somewhat diluted!

Today, the thread of hope became a ball of wool and the liquid of hope turned into more like a jar of English honey!

I often refer to our body and mind as an engine that needs fuel. Well today my tank is full and I’m revving up ready to go. Gosh if I could bottle this, I would send it to you all.

Life really is like a box of chocolates, especially a box of chocolates when blind, as we can’t see the bit of paper that describes the filled delights, so we pick, pop and ponder on what taste will conclude after the chocolate has burst.

Well todays swan song, swims around the lake whilst my heart has been touched by kindness in words that cost nothing but is pure gold to me.

My life’s ambition is to write and to have work published all over the world in paper format as well as word. To be acknowledged as a writer and earn money to provide for my tiny family. Just the idea of sitting among strawberry plants, lemon trees and hear birds sing their song as the warm air beats upon my fingers as I type writing words for others to read. I feel so compelled to write each day and though a lot of what I write I feel is half of what I want to say, it’s still more than what others would dare to write. But today showed me that what some, write is more than I dare to believe an yet would love to accept.

Some days my mind feels twisted up in real life I guess that ball of wool again, but this time not a neat ball of wool but a knotted tangled load of string. Those doors I keep trying to open are firmly locked and that small hill becomes a mountain that only the brave and experienced can climb.

But my life has taught me that the string can be untangled giving it time and patience, and those doors can be broken down if no one comes with a key as for the mountains? Well one step at a time or wait for a day like today when strength is given then suddenly that mountain will seem like a flat bit of land!

There is an Italian proverb which goes something like this. “Hope is the last thing ever lost.””
Take your most optimal thoughts and keep them safe never give up never let others take you down, if you let your guard down for a second, know that you will get up again and each time you are knocked down, the more you get up the stronger you will become.

I hear you, I really do, as your words echo in my head every single day. How many knocks can one person take? Some say we are given the knocks we can personally handle. So, some say that the stronger we are the more knocks we will get. I’m on the fence with that one, but I do believe the kinder the person the more knocks they will have had in life. Those who fly through life with happiness and leisure in their lives are not normally nice people. Quite selfish. My opinion only. There are a few who deserve forever happiness now, as they have had a tough life, but for those born lucky and live lucky, who give nothing back, I don’t believe they are truly happy and contented people.

I believe hope is a characteristic that all humans are born with and it’s up to us to keep it alive. Hope pertains to love especially when one can really believe in the outcome.

I have been more times in my life without hope but somehow, right at the back of my mind and dug deep within my heart hope shines its light, and that light is so bright, it’s enough for me to be guided along the path of life to my next hurdle, where there are rocks to clamber over, rushing rivers to swim through and icy dangerous lakes to try to cross as well as shrubberies to try to find my way through. Sometimes I’m so exhausted that I can’t go on, I wrest then I’m once again, lifted to a safe place to contemplate on my next move, an interim if you like.

I want to send you love and hope.
(C) Fiona Cummings

DIARY OF THE DAY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

It’s a fresh day. My lovely spring garden is looking very sad. There is no colour this year. Everything is dry. I need soil and lots of it. We need someone to come and chop next doors tall nasty thorny whatever it is. The only good thing about it is, the birds love it. They eat the berry’s and nest in it too. But it’s horrible, the one inch thorns stick through our fencing and to cut them back is so difficult we have to feel where they are, I say we, I mean Hub. Then they get a grip on his skin and tear. You should have seen his hands the last time he, did it? As for the height, it’s ridiculous, there is privacy and PRR’RRII’IIVICY!
The shrub must stand double our fence and our fence is taller than Hub even as tall as Boy Wonder.
That is a tall fence.

We are selling our fridge now… Seriously, of late we could have opened an electrical shop. We have sold our dish washer, freezer, cooker, washing machine and dryer.

Our joiner is going to make us a lovely unit for my Chrystal. It will be great, solid, his woodwork is fantastic. We have things made by him and though they were made for us in the past, they will live for our future and I hope will be passed on to our Son. I have a blanket box like what my Mum had. It’s solid oak really tall and so heavy. I love solid wood you can’t buy it now days. The new unit I’m getting will have wood shelves and glass doors. I would like a light in it. It won’t be tall, about 5 feet tall, 152cm, and about 2 feet ten inches, 84cm wide with four shelves in. I would like a bit of a shape at the front top. The wood is called black American chestnut.

I’m so excited at the prospect of getting this made. It will go in our conservatory and will match the wine rack I bought Hub years ago. That is rustic wood and has piano keys carved down the side.

Today we have Bloggets from the United States they are leading the way by miles today followed by the UK, then there are other countries where when I see the names of the countries, I think oh I would love to go there either for the first time or again. Like France, Germany and Switzerland, Denmark hi, lovely to see you here again and our regular Bloggets from Australia, seventeen of you today, South Africa Canada and Mexico.

It’s been a while since I caught up on the total statistics who are in the top ten of the countries who have visited my blog page. Let’s take a look.
UK 88,000.51
United States 60,000
Russia 9,121
Ukraine, 7,183
Germany 5,370
Canada, 2,905
Australia, 2,066
France 1,399
South Africa, 1,319
Poland 831
And another forty plus countries have visited over the past to make up in total 200,1000 views. Over two hundred thousand views, you are amazing.

My Son has a day off work, his last before he goes on holiday. Gosh he’s lucky to be going abroad, my favourite country but not my favourite city. I will tell you more later.

All I know is I hope he has a great time, but I wish he was back. He has had three breaks this year already. Only one of them I was envious it was Prague. But what I have learned since he has come back, sadly it’s off my bucket list now. I had places I wanted to visit if I ever got my sight back. Prague was one of them but sadly I fear that the awful way of modern life has spoiled it. BW told me stories of lots of African men wearing caps standing outside their cars which looked as if they cost absolute thousands, shaking young people’s hands. Looking at them in the eye and obviously wanting to sell them drugs. I wish we could abolish drugs and alcohol. Then life would surely be prettier? Safer too.

Gosh what a world where we could let our children play in the streets and have no worries? Give me a country where there is only steam for transport and people’s hearts are full of love no pain at all. No such thing as grief. Grief is the worst kind of pain I have ever experienced. I include all the awful treatment I received for my eyes, gosh, that was pretty painful. In fact, it was as close to torture as I can imagine.

So, BW out to get his hair cut. He has beautiful hair you know, and sadly he has to get it cut every two weeks. Why? Not sure. I wish he would let it grow a bit. To touch it there is nothing there, I hate that. He used to have beautiful hair, now? Madness if you have hair you shave it so low it looks almost bald, if you are bald, you wish for hair.

My biggest fear is if Hub goes bald haha. He will for sure, his Brothers are and his Dad. He had beautiful dark hair he was my Italian stallion. Hahaha. Now He is going pepper. I’m not surprised with the stress we have had in our lives. But we love one another and that is solid. Life now will get easier. My lovely was asking me last night what is our next project. I said nothing at all never. If we ever move again, it will be a brand-new house next time. Where nothing will need doing. BW found out the other night that the guy who sold us our house did all the electrics himself Yep, that makes sense. When Boy Wonder started to tell him his Dad was shocking, as we had to do all the electrics as they weren’t safe, the gas was condemned and the sink in the shower room had a hole in it, well then, the list continued. I Asked what did his friend say? He said, yes, that will be my Dad… Nice… haha.
So, let’s have some fun. Did you know that most home owners stay in their houses for six years in their life time? Not me that’s for sure. Try 60, that’s if I live till I’m 70.
The bathroom is the best investment. Hmm. What about a piggin kitchen?
A Japanese company have developed a residential earthquake proofing system that raises the house 3cm using air and when the earthquake is over, the house is gently placed back on the ground. The house levitates whilst the earthquake is happening. Gosh that is amazing.
Wowza this fact is simply wonderful. Did you know that brass doorknobs disinfect themselves? How, Fiona, I hear you call. Well, according to what I have read today, the ions in the metal have a toxic effect on spores, fungi, viruses, and other germs, eliminating the infections within eight hours.
Brass for all then? No wonder it’s expensive.
Now I don’t believe this fact, I think this is a fake fact, but Scottish Bloggets, please correct me if I think wrong? In Scotland, when home owners pay off their mortgage, they paint their doors red. Hahahaha. Really? No’oo’o
The people of Easter Island have a word, tingo. This means they borrow from their friends’ houses what they like and never give it back.
For those in the UK, I wonder if that is where the expression you’ve been tangoed comes from? Smile.
There is a garden in England that is dedicated to plants that can kill you. Yep, I know of this garden very well if you ever go to England, please go to the beautiful Northumberland. Alnwick water gardens. You will be amazed. That is where the poison garden is. You have to wait for a guided tour. It depicts all of the plants that people used in the olden days to poison people. I could write loads about that place, in fact I have in a blog many moons ago. It’s one of the best places to visit in Northumberland. Alnwick. And for Harry Potter fans, you will love it.
Just to note, I can’t stand Harry Potter. But love the castle where a movie was filmed and that is in Alnwick.

Well have a lovely day whatever you are doing. I’m going to my email now to see if I have an email from one of my absolute favourite Bloggets. You know who you are. If you, wish to drop me a line, my email is below
visionsforfuture@googlemail.com





DRM Investments ltd

THE KITCHEN DIARY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good morning Bloggets. A quick update on how our kitchen is doing. Today is Bank Holiday in the UK even so, our joiner and painter are coming. Another weekend of Hub and me working, trying to clear and clean the conservatory. Gosh it was filthy with all the dust and grit the dust was so thick you could almost pick it up with your hands. The heat was unbearable too. 28°, so in our conservatory where it’s all glass, you can imagine.

We pulled up the plastic from the floor in the kitchen as it was dangerous as it was starting to come up, Hub and I kept getting our foot under it. It was put down to protect our new floor. Hopefully our joiner will put new down today as obviously, our kitchen isn’t finished yet.

The guys came out last Thursday to measure the work tops for quartz surfaces. They were OK and thankfully they didn’t say anything was wrong. I was dreading them coming as if we got anything wrong for them, they charged a fortune to come out again. What I have learned from this project, well two of many things, firstly, when buying a kitchen from the company we bought from, they say you have to check everything out to see if it’s all there and perfect condition within 24 hours, or they won’t play. This is ridiculous, as put it this way our joiner and his pal came on Friday to take away the carboard boxes from our kitchen, and to give you a rough idea on how many there were, they filled the trailer and a big van then came back and did the same again. So how are you meant to remove everything from your boxes and check it out in that time? Then if you are taking things out of their boxes, isn’t that going to make it more possible to damage the units?

Secondly, if you are considering a new kitchen think about the work tops. Marble marks easily and you have to be so very careful with it also you are recommended to get them treat every six months. Just to keep them nice. You can only wash them with washing up liquid or a special cleaner too. Whereas quartz, you get the same affect but don’t have to get it treat, don’t have to use a special product though they do say try to use dish soap only and it doesn’t mark like marble. But, quartz, we were told by our kitchen designer that it would take from the measuring date no more than seven days. Hmm. Then weeks later, we learn actually, it’s between seven and 12 working, days. So not even just days, but working. We received an email before the guys came out to say 7 to 10 working days but when they came out, 10, became 12.

So, next Monday is D, day for us. The work tops will be put in, thank God. And I hope our plumber will come on the same day and give us a sink.

Hub cleaned all the units out at the bottom and me at the top. Poor Hub has done his back in. Not too serious just hurts. The units were full of bits of wood and dust. I cleaned the conservatory windows, that is a lot of glass as our room is huge. I had a casualty of a tortoise I have had since I was eleven. Don’t worry, not a real one, but china. Hub broke a huge wine glass that was massive he hated it. It was the length of my arm I used to put candles in it. I loved it but he hated it and called it tac. Haha. And someone, not us, sadly broke our wall light but didn’t tell us, thankfully they cleaned most of the glass up. Our electrician brought the light in, no bulbs or glass around it. It went in the bin, sad as I liked that it was like two candles in candle sticks. BW went to the local shop for us to buy a new one. I wished I could have gone on my own and chose it, but I left it up to him and what we have is well, Okay. Hub and I tried to put it together on Friday night, impossible. I hate being beat. But things from abroad now days are just not easy to do they make them as complicated as possible and nothing makes sense. Boy Wonder spent ages and he had to use a spanner and undo things I was too afraid to take apart as thought it couldn’t be, so I chickened out and left it to him. Thank God for him. I see him about ten minutes per day, no joke, and about five minutes per week, he is an angel to us.

We are totally exhausted. Just trying to get around the house it’s so messy. There are things in every room. Even our sitting room which is the tidiest out of all rooms, has from the conservatory, a coffee table and four dining chairs as well as the wine rack and the vacuum. Oh, as for our windowsill? What a mess that is. There are two plants from our conservatory and four door handles as well as a couple of small boxes that belong to the kitchen, and a packet of screws. As I said this is the tidiest room.

Our oven is in, working well I love it. It’s such a pleasure to have something that works. Something you don’t need sight for to use. Okay, I left the gas on the other day, but hey ho! We have washing machine, hmm. I’m still on the fence with that. Moor on that later.

I hope we will get the fridge and freezer in action today as well as the dish washer. I hate using just water and soap to clean dishes. We have a make shift sink right now we were given from the kitchen people. What a difference that has made. We still have to boil water in the conservatory. Our old fridge is in there too. I’m kind of seeing the wood for the trees now.

We have a meeting with the window people next week. They are making it very official. Well, bring it on. It’s been a long two months. My body hurts we are covered in bruises I have two big scratches down my arms and the mark on my leg where the nail went in is still prominent, but hey, my kitchen will be lovely….. x

PEACE PLEASE FOR ALL

RIP Georgina Callander age 18 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Saffie Roussos age 8 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP John Atkinson age 26 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Megan Hurley age 15 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Olivia Campbell age 15 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Alison Howe age 44 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Lisa Lees age 43 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Kelly Brewster age 32 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Angelika Klis age 40. 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Marcin Klis age 42 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Nell Jones age 14 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Martyn Hett age 29 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Jane Tweddle-Taylor age 51 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Sorrell Leczkowski age 14 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Michelle Kiss age 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Liam Curry age 19 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Chloe Rutherford age 17 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Courtney Boyle age 19 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Philip Tron age 32 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Elaine McIver 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Wendy Fawell age 50 💔 🙏🏼🎈
RIP Eilidh Macleod age 14 💔 🙏🏼🎈
Rest in peace & sing with the Angels God Bless each of you & watch over your Heartbroken families 💕

A CROWD OF ANGELS BY FIONA CUMMINGS

A CROUD OF ANGELS
BY FIONA CUMMINGS
You wanted to go so badly
You said you are grown up now don’t need your Daddy
Out for the first time on your own
I heard the news
Rang your phone
No answer
My little dancer
You must have dropped your mobile
You ran to a safe place
I begged to see your smile
Your beautiful face
I hadn’t heard from the Police
So, you must be coming home
I had that last thread to hang onto at least
Though I still went into panic zone
Family tried to calm me down
As I wanted to run to follow the ground
Your last steps before you got to safety
I needed answers badly
As the hours went by
No more tears to cry
My heart stopped so many times
As the clock continued to chime
If only I could turn back time
Hours when you were still hand in hand with mine
You looked so beautiful
Full of hope and sunshine
Then the knock at my door
As I heard the news I fell to the floor
No one mattered
My world was shattered
Suffering so badly
As is your Daddy
I can’t comfort him at all
I want you to call
Tell me it’s been a mistake
But they were sure it was you
I don’t want this to be true
My sweet little girl
Wings you now have
In another world
I will never see you again
I don’t think I can carry on with life
I want you to come back please
On my knees
I beg
How do I tell your brother?
Your blood is on the hands of another
How can I find words to explain?
When I am in such pain
Where can I get the strength from to be there for him
Poison rushing through my veins
I can’t go on
I’m not strong
You were my first child
This wasn’t meant to happen
I hope you’re in heaven
Dancing on the stars
I look up and hope you are not too far
You didn’t even get chance to drive your car
Or finish school
You meant so much to me
And I lost you because of someone so cruel
My heart is broken
I’m choking
They want me to plant a rose in your name
But nothing matters any more
I wish I could turn back time
And pick myself up from the floor
They stole you, didn’t they know you were mine?
I hear your little brother cry by your bedroom door
Your Daddy won’t come home
I still listen for the phone
To say they, got it wrong
But it doesn’t ring
I simply can’t, go on
I hope you found your wings
Upon your head is your crown
Be happy my little girl
Sing if you are ever down
You are now one of 22 angels
Taken from a crowd
Sing loud
Know you make me proud
© Fiona Cummings

MANCHESTER BLUE VISION BY FIONA CUMMINGS

MANCHESTER BLUE VISION
BY FIONA CUMMINGS
In the clouds, I see your face
Inside my heart is your place
I thought I would know you forever
But you were taken from me
Far too early
Without a chance, to say goodbye
Leaving me in agony, burning tears I cry
We can’t have the last dance, we can’t sing in harmony
My riches have turned to poverty
It’s all gone wrong
The words to our song
Always by my side
There is nowhere to hide
Nowhere to run
I just want the door to open
Your words no longer are spoken
Can this all be a nightmare?
I want to wake up and see you there
Without a care
Not known what I have been through
Beautiful eyes so blue
Hair so fair
Life is so cruel
So, young, not long left school
A lifetime ahead of you
So many dreams waiting for you
But sadly, you had to go away
I just want to hold you one more time
Hold onto you, till the end of time
That mountain we had to climb
That lake was ours to find
But we were given, a rough deal
We wanted to visit that new restaurant
Just a meal
Please come back let’s try that place?
Let me see that smile again
Please remove this pain
You were always giving
You had so much living
To do
If only I could say one more time
I love you
You were taken far too early
Didn’t even have chance to raise a family
Wherever you are right now
I hope you can hear me
And we can meet again soon
When how?
I wish I knew the answer
As I don’t know how I can carry on
The people of Manchester
Have been amazing
For them I’m so grateful
I tell them about you
How you were so beautiful
They listen
As my eyes glisten
But their time is important I don’t want to bother them
I want to talk to you
Please tell me if it’s possible
And if so when?
So much I have to say
But my words are beating against the wall
Echoing as my voice cracks as your name I call
I wish you would answer
Just one more time
My darling for you I pine
© Fiona Cummings

LAUGHS AND LOURDES BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Nepal, India, Egypt, Chechia, Denmark, South Africa, Australia, Germany, US and UK are the countries who are in the top ten today viewing this blog page. So, what can I say to put a smile upon your faces for the weekend? Well, apart from my electrician coming yesterday to try to fix our washing machine, I told him he was my hero. He replied, I lost my cape along the way. To which I replied? Sorry? How what? He laughed.
I didn’t.
I was really concerned he had lost something, but I just didn’t catch what? Then when he repeated himself, I got it…. Just. I still can’t get used to the accent around here. Not sure how long I will have to live here before I do become a local. I doubt very much I will develop the accent my Geordie is too strong. You would hope I would speak without an accent after all the travel I have done in my life.

My Husbands accent is very nice quite posh but not silver spoon posh. When I hear silver spoon posh, I don’t want to talk with that person. Rightly or wrongly. But I like people to talk properly.

My iron has just arrived, how exciting.
Not
Well it’s good though as we were quite desperate. I should be filling my new washing machine up. I will I just can’t face ironing and there is nowhere to put anything with all the things we have waiting to be cupboarded. Back to my washing machine, our electrician didn’t know what to do so between a text to my joiner and Hub’s Plumbing skills, we fixed it. I swear plumbing would be my Husbands trade if he could see.

If we could see, what would we be like now? Who would we be? I’m sure I would not be me. Haha. No comments please naughty bloggets!

I had no ambition at all as a child sadly. But if I could see, life education attitude would have been so different.

I would have had the same parents, though my Mum was sure that I was meant to go to her and she was a wonderful Mum considering we didn’t share blood. She said no other Mother would have gone through the stress she did. Cheers Mum…
I know what she means though. She so badly wanted me to have sight. She was promised help from I was only six and from then on, it was her life’s job to get me it, hence Russia and before that Italy and Lourdes.

My Husband also went to Lourdes and sadly he hated it. He was a lot older than me I think he was seven. I was four. It was winter and the Nuns broke the ice off the bath to dip me in. As I have written before, God for sure heard me screaming. I was simply terrified. Two elderly people, to me, a tiny child, I couldn’t distinguish lady or man. As they had no hair or make up, jewellery or soft voices. Their voices were deep. Their skin paper bag like. Brownish and crinkly. No beauty treatments going on there.

Surrounded in black they were very scary.

The water was so cold, I thought they were going to drown me. Like everything in my medical life, nothing was explained to me.

They dipped me in held me and all around me was grey stone as the bath was floor level. I was naked and though only four, felt humiliated though of course that motion wasn’t in my vocabulary then. I just had that fizzy sinking uncomfortable feeling.

Afterwards a Nun spoke to my soul and words too, to my Mum that I will never forget.

I read that there has been 69 miracles of Lourdes. The last one was a lady who was riddled with cancer. After being emerged in the bath, she felt an amazing feeling and since then, she has been cured of all of her cancers. Wow. Well, again I have written what happened to me after Lourdes in the past, so I won’t bore you, but sadly it didn’t do my Husband any good, but perhaps because he wasn’t open minded about it, mind you, how does a child of such an age become open minded about such matters?

Well more work I have done today in my kitchen trying to make good of it all. We have to clear our conservatory for Monday as that is when the big paint job is getting done and I hope more work in my kitchen from our lovely joiner then one week afterwards, our work tops get fitted. At last, the 5th of June our kitchen will be all done. It started on the 11th of April so by the time it’s finished eight weeks.

Did you hear about the Italian chef who died?
He pasta way.
We cannoli do so much.
His legacy will become a pizza history.
why is the chef so mean?
She beats the eggs and whips the cream.
Hahaha, poetry or what?

Have a lovely weekend and remember to find peace in your heart. Whoever you are wherever you are living right now, there is someone out there who loves and needs you. You just haven’t found them yet. Your life can change around a corner. Xxx

DIARY OF HARMONY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good day Bloggets. Another beautiful day. The sun is shining. The noise outside our house is unreal. I guess this is what you get living in a city. I wasn’t expecting any workmen today but the electrician has come. Panic as I cannot find the lock key for the gates. I always put it in the same place and I’m really good at that. It’s not there. So, the electrician has cut the lock off. I bet I have a spare key too, but while he is here I had to get him to cut it as if he left, then how would I get the bins out?

I used my oven last night. Gosh it is super dooper. I love it. It reminds me of the back of a bus. Haha. It’s so powerful and I love the roaring of the sound it makes. We just had chips and pie but it was such a relief to use something so good and that works.

I timed everything perfectly, I thought. You know what it’s like when you get a new oven?
I wanted our first little family meal to be so together… Hmm. Well dinner was perfect. But, I remembered that Hub was in later than late as he had to stay behind even later than normal. I called his office. I could hear voices in the background, and wondered if he just had the radio on in transit. Smile. He told me he said last night, he would be even later as someone he had to wait for had to work later. Gosh, my memory, as he said it I remembered. It’s like the key, I don’t know why, I wouldn’t put it back as I do every single night in exactly the same place. So, then there was Boy Wonder. Well, let’s say he went out. I asked him if he was home for dinner he said he didn’t know. So now I’m on my own eating dinner. I didn’t want it. So, the bin ate my first meal cooked in my new oven.

Today we will get a fridge and freezer and I can start to clean the conservatory. I can see a kitchen just starting now. Just. My family have been able to see it for a few days now, but not me. I think until I get my things put in my cupboards and the awful broken boxes off the floor, then I will feel better. I’m waiting in for the missing doors that are to be delivered. When? Not sure have had no notification other than the phone call the day we ordered them last week saying they would come today.

I had a visitor last night. A plumber to look at our bath leak. Well I won’t bore you but he was a real character and I like him. He’s a good number to have. I could make you laugh with a story about him, as my Bloggets will know, with most of my adult life, comes a story, but I shall spare my blushes on this one.

I’m hoping my Son will take Waggs out for a walk today, if not I will go out tonight somewhere with her. As I said I can’t today as waiting in again. Seriously, if I had a full-time job, how would that work? Every single day for the past few weeks even Saturday and Sundays we have been waiting for someone. Today my electrician was shocked that our joiner wasn’t here as he said he was going to be. Haha. Nope…. The electrician said that he thought I knew he was coming. Nope. But I’m very glad he has.

It’s a little scary he hasn’t turned off the electric yet.
But he knows his stuff. I hope. He’s putting the lights in my glass cabinets and under the units to shine on the work tops…. Just to help me to see in the dark. Haha. I wish?

It was funny in the shop when I was choosing my kitchen, when I was so particular about lighting. Well I am. I can’t see, but I like to make our house look as pretty as it would be if I could see. I have never lived in a so called adapted house. I think that is because I grew up in a boarding school where there were no easy ways about anything. Our first school for the blind, were very old dark Victorian buildings. There were steep steps everywhere and nothing about health and safety. There was nothing safe and definitely nothing healthy about the place.

You should have seen where we had to play? There was a tree house that really was rotten. The floor on the top level used to sink and there were holes all over it. But we were OK and we used to love it. There was a great valley we used to sleigh down in the snow and bounce off the barbed wire fencing at the bottom and there was a huge pyramid made from logs we climbed. It was so high. There was nothing at all to stop you from falling it was up to you to keep a hold and if you did fall at that place, you had to learn to get back up and carry on as sympathy was not an option. The amount of times I used to run like crazy at break time as you do as a child, and really graze my knees was uncountable! Rather than comforting words we were either ignored or told off. I at first would cry as a tiny child would, for my Mum, but soon learned that wasn’t going to bring her to me.

My second school, I had some sight remember then, was more modern, but the school side didn’t make any allowances for those who had sight problems. This school was for partially sighted rather than blind as well. Because I couldn’t keep my hand writing on the lines, I was punished by having to go to hand writing classes at nights. This really hurt as I knew no matter how many times I went to these classes where we were to just write and write, we weren’t taught how to do it in a different way, I would never improve because I could only see a bit of one letter each time I wrote, when I was focusing on one letter, I couldn’t see the lines at the same time.

Gosh thankfully it’s so different for children now days. But at the same time, sadly they will be different to their class mates where as we were all the same at school. And because we didn’t have our families, we were each other’s brother and sisters. We had to build a huge wall around our hearts I let my guard down time to time but Hubs wall is solid and from time to time bits’ crumble but as far as it falling down, no chance. He had to be like this, he was only three when he was sent to boarding school and he was away from home for the rest of his life. As after university he married, so he is very independent. But this doesn’t make life easier, just means we can do things that the children who are blind and partially sighted now days possibly won’t be able to do in the future.

It’s a good thing that we are able to cope as we only have each other. This past few weeks turning into a couple of months have really tested us. It’s the most difficult thing that we have ever done. Hub had a hell of a time at University, he didn’t know his way around the campus in those days it was a case of get on with it, thankfully he got a guide dog and without his dog he would be absolutely stuck. In those days, there was no technology everything was done in Braille and on old fashioned tape recorders. He had some wonderful volunteers who were fellow students who would read books to him that were not in Braille or on audio as audio wasn’t an option either in those days. But the volunteers took months to meet and organise. Thankfully he has a brain the size of the planet and a memory like an elephant. With this combination, he was able to cope. As for food? He said he lost so much weight in his first year at first not knowing where the canteen was and then when he did learn how to get there, it was a case of when he was in the canteen, how to get the food? Back then we were rare. We were not a common sight at universities. Also in the work place. But my Hub managed to leave University with three degrees’ English language, phonetics and music. He then got his master’s in business. He is a great Dad and wonderful caring Husband. I love him to bits and I am so proud of him. We have known each other since we were six, but had a huge amount of years apart but the love we have for one another fills in the gaps of those missing years, as in our hearts we were never apart.

I just wish life was easier for us, I wish we could do more things to enjoy ourselves as we always seem to be working. Last year we had one week of holiday. One week out of 52. This year we have had two days so far. The times we get out is to do something like banking.

To sit near a stream, would be a treat, or go to a beer garden and even though I will have a coke, it would be in a garden and away from the house. This weekend is Bank holiday so Hub won’t be at work on Monday, but there will be no change in life. I hope one day that will change. We have a beautiful house, well it will be perfect when our kitchen is done, but we need to learn how to have time away from home.

It’s been like a warzone here for the past few days so many jets and helicopters flying over. Huge army trucks passed Hub as he went to work. It’s London town tenfold. Noise and serious business goings on. Made me wonder what my old town is like back in Newcastle? I heard it was almost impossible to drive around there now because of one way streets. There are far too many cars on our roads now. But there is nothing going to be done about it. My Son should walk to work it’s just up the street. But he drives. It’s the convenience of it all. Everything fast and fury. Has to be done yesterday rather than tomorrow. Or, five minutes later.

Sitting here in my lounge the window is open, the breeze is lovely. Thankfully there is one. Today is to be the hottest day of the year. Mind you, that won’t take much as it’s not been a hot start.

I’m waiting for my Joiner to come back to take the rest of the rubbish and then our garden will be back to normal, and I shall be sitting out there, oh, no, hang on, maybe not. I’m waiting in again, for a delivery…. This time an iron. My old one has been broken for months and I just put up with it but now it’s starting to leave marks on clothes and that is no good for Hub at work. Sometimes it’s impossible to know about the marks as well so if he is at a meeting or just in general at work, it’s embarrassing for him to have horrid marks on his shirts. Hopefully one of the girls at work would tell him. He gets on well enough with them all and I hope they would feel comfortable to tell him if he does have a mark then it will be a bin job.

Oh, here we go again, I don’t know what is going on around here but for three days now the emergency services have been going by at such speed along our road at the side of the house. Yesterday there were four in a row screeching by. I imagine it’s something to do with events of late in the UK as we never hear such sounds not constantly throughout the day.

I haven’t been able to write much of late my heart has been hurting so much with what happened on Monday. The people of Manchester of course came together as they do in the north. But that doesn’t bring back those poor people. One of the girls who died went to school with my Son. Thank Goodness, our Muslim communities have all come out in anger to say how annoyed and upset they are. This is what we so badly need. Absolute respect for them.
Our NHS have been amazing. 300 nurses worked throughout the night to see to the sick and dying and 60 ambulances attended the event. Our soldiers are now on the streets I wish they were there permanently, rather than go off to war in other countries.

I pray for peace every single day. I wish for a world of harmony.

DIARY OF ALWAYS BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Here I am again oh the sun is lovely out there, but I’m in waiting for a man. Haha. Seriously, someone is coming to measure, and not for me for the box, though I did wonder this time last week if that was going to be the case, he is coming to measure our new work tops, well the space to fit them. Thank goodness, the young lad turned up today with the joiner and hopefully they will get so much done. I also pray they take the rubbish from the back garden. I wish our joiner was working here this week as then it would all be finished totally by the weekend. Why drag on to next week? Hub was so fed up when I told him. At lease, we have an oven now. And a sink. I may try to tackle my lovely sofa in the conservatory tonight. It’s been used as a dumping station. I wonder if I will ever get it clean again? Thankfully it’s leather as if it was material, well, it would have been fit for the bin now. When the first lot of dodgy builders came, they were putting concrete on it. I was removing stones from it, then tools have been placed on top of it. And then there are all of our bags and just thick dust.

We are walking on top of broken boxes on our floor in the kitchen. It’s fine. Just messy. And you have to be careful that you don’t trip up if one comes loose. My poor dogs have been so restricted in the garden it’s too dangerous out there especially after LF was found in his bed with a lump of wood in his mouth.

Our friend asked us last night if we were going on a holiday this year. I said no, I didn’t say not this or next or even the year after. BW keeps asking if we want to go with him and Shamrock somewhere. No. Not for ages. Our kitchen is our holiday. Heck. I need one after it? I’m not going to get a tan in there, am I? Mind you, wait until I get that gas going?

Talking of holidays, I thought it was so lovely last night as I went to our emails and discovered an email from the wonderful kind people from the South of France who contacted us to ask if we were OK after the dreadful massacre which occurred in the north of England a couple of days ago. After what France has been through, I was so touched. This couple are true angels, I did feel so very sad though that we won’t ever see these people or their house again an yet they gave us such a perfect holiday. I will never forget. Probably the last holiday our Son will ever have with us alone. I would guess next one will be with his girlfriend, wife or child. Gosh, I hope in that order.

My Husband has gone to work in a clean shirt today as always, but it’s so not ironed as well as I like, I was just too tired last night. My ironing board is in a right mess I need a new one, but I think I will try to make do with what I have got. Everything is so crushed all over our house. It’s in a worse state than when we first moved in here. I have to learn the washing machine tonight then the dryer. I put the new oven on to warm something up last night and wow, it’s amazing. I’m going to love that. And to have something that I can control, is wonderful. I even like the sound of it as it starts. I said to Hub, it’s like a bus… haha. He was a bit like what? But I mean it’s so powerful. Our last oven was as if a fly was breathing.

The walk last night to our local restaurant was nice, just to get out. It was a warm evening going but coming back was much cooler. Windy even. Waggatail worked so well. LF kept having a sit whilst I caught up to Him and Hub, as they are like Jack Flash, whoever he was, I just know he went fast. Smile.

LF sits for a while, a few seconds until I am in earshot then off they run again. I’m not slow, just they are ridiculously fast. There is about forty steps between us.

I have just had the phone call to say that the man is on his way so I best go for now, gosh he sounded very efficient. I feel as if I’m going to take an exam. Why? Not sure a lot of money rests on this man. If it goes wrong, we have to pay a fortune for him to call out again. I think it’s a bit of a shock considering how much money we are going to pay for his work tops. The list is so strict. I hope the guys have removed the baby sink we have in there at the moment. I have no internet so I think the electric has been switched off. Why? Not sure. Another day of blooming resetting our heating system and lighting.

I’m not going to know myself when they all leave.
Or am I?
Actually, yes, I am.
At least these guys are so polite and well behaved even the young lad today knocked on the living room door and asked me if I wanted a cup of tea. Bless. I would be proud if he were my Son. Mind you, let me take those words back ever so quickly, no, I wouldn’t. Why? Oh, I forgot to tell you last night, as I was talking to him about his beautiful Spaniel, he told me he was a hunting dog. Oh, that did it.

Such a quiet polite lovely young lad, how can he do such cruelty? It’s so beyond me. I wonder when we, if, we, move onto the next land, will we remember this land? I doubt it as why can’t we remember the land we were in before this one? Don’t get me on regression? I have written before about me being regressed. How are we to learn anything if we can’t remember where we were and what we did the time before we came?

Some would say it’s not for us to remember. Well if it’s for our maker, or decider, then he, she, it, will never create a perfect world and if it’s possible to have a perfect world, why not?

Right on that note I shall go and try to do something productive. What? Not sure. I can’t even find my duster X

THE KITCHEN DIARY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

After the showers comes the sun. It’s really warm out there. Not that I have been out much, only to open the garage door and gates for the workmen. What a busy day. Firstly, our joiner came very early at quarter past eight, bless him, keen? Haha, I hope so. I am! Or am I?
After today I have to laugh.

It was all action as I handed over the paperwork for our work tops to make sure everything was in place quickly grabbing a cup of tea before I was a prisoner to my living room. It’s hell in my conservatory as there are drawers everywhere, I didn’t know until yesterday evening when I went to make a cup of tea and bumped into them. One fell on my foot as it was standing on its side thankfully my foot it fell on, rather than the floor, as didn’t want to damage anything. As I misjudged the door only by a few inches a blank of wood fell on me, and Hub really hurt himself as he went to the doors from work and a spanner was keeping the sides of the unit where our freezer will go together. We need hard hats. Smile.

Well today there has been loads of drilling and everyone has been here. Our trusty joiner and the others like the electrician who came fixed our cooker and other things like washing machine and dryer. Hot plate too. Now we just need a plate. Hahaha. The plumber has fit the radiator and the make shift sink. Great, somewhere to pour some clean fresh water into our water boiler. Also, to wash an apple. Oh my. Still no work tops that will be ages away, another story about that. But tomorrow, the plumbers Son who I really like is coming to give a hand to our joiner and get our wall units up. Wowzer. I’m blessed today. The sun really has come out.

Plugs where I thought wasn’t, is, and plugs that I thought weren’t are now.

Then the worktop company called me. It was almost impossible to hear them but between the breaks of the drills and hammers I did. Just, and she went through a check list with me. Oh, I did feel the pressure, I mean, what on earth do I know about worktops? Apart from the fact that they are nice or not?

One thing that made me bit my bottom lip. Quick, get off the phone, run into the kitchen, catch the allusive plumber before he leaves again.

The lady said I was to have no sink or worktop. Well the guys fit something that the kitchen came with today. A worktop and small sink. It was all in lovely. Of course, when they come to measure up tomorrow, they won’t measure around that will they? They need naked work top space so they can give an accurate measurement. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that. I presumed it would be OK considering the kitchen people provided the items.

She asked loads of questions about the situation with the current units that have just been fitted like how they are on the wall? Em, how do I know that? I would guess with screws/nails? That was the wrong answer. Haha. It’s actually not funny, if I get this wrong, we have to pay an obscene amount to get them to call back out. Also, time.

We were told that they would take seven days to come. Now, it’s seven to twelve working days. Working days?
7 to 12?
Oh, my God.

She asked me if I agreed with the work top design. I told her she would have to describe it to me as I can’t see. She did and it is what we asked for as if you can remember, our designer, hmm. Gave us a totally different work top and it wasn’t until Hub and I read very carefully the name of the one we wanted and it looked different to the one we were sent details on over the email.

So, I had to break the bad news to the plumbers that their hard work to kindly give us a makeshift sink was all in vein. Long and short of it, my joiner friend and the lovely Son of the plumber will be here tomorrow and will sort it out.

So today, things have really moved on. Lots of noise means my kitchen is on its way.

A cooker will make a huge difference. I won’t be able to make homemade food as I have no work tops, only open cupboards and we can’t find pans etc. among the mess, but, I can buy frozen chips, pies and oven them. Oh, to taste golden hot pastry? Crunchy, crunchy anything. I’m just dying here for food. I feel like an astronaut right now. I have eaten air for weeks.

We have a washing machine, dryer, wow, clothes will be washed I’m so excited. And a radiator. It’s warm today but forecast to be awful in a couple of days and for a couple of weeks, we havent had a radiator in the conservatory or kitchen, so it’s cool at nights in there.

My Son just came in from work I asked if he would take Waggatail around the back in her dog run to do her business as she was crossed legged. Joking, she can really hold her stuff in. Thank goodness… He did he was back in a hurry. He asked.
“Mum, do you know there is a spaniel in the back garden?””

I didn’t, but I know the lad has a dog. Long and short, it was his dog, Well Waggs doesn’t care, she went to the toilet and then BW was annoyed as I wouldn’t just leave Waggs out there with the dog, I wanted her in. He called me repressive and cruel…. Nice to see you home from work too Son.
He’s off to the gym now.

One, what if the guys opened the gate and Waggs got out? Two, I don’t know if the dog is friendly or not? Three I also don’t know if the little dog has had its vaccinations. Of course, I’m sure it will have done but my dog is loved and I’m an over protective Mum. If I were out there with her fine, but I’m not. I’m here answering phone calls all day.

I just hope the lad picks his doggy doodles up. As our dog’s mess in one space, it’s behind a fence and gate. We don’t let them run free without knowing they have been to the toilet first or our full garden would be one big toilet. We can’t just see it and pick it up.

Shame as I love spaniels I would have loved to stroke him… Hopefully the dog hasn’t eaten flowers? Especially blue ones? Did you know that blue flowers were poisons to dogs?

Now I have a sulking Waggatail who is crying at the door wanting to play with her new friend. I feel cruel. I’m too anal I have always been the same I doubt I will change.

Gosh the lads have worked really hard today. And tomorrow the young lad is back. Out of all the people the joiner has, the lad is by far the best worker. He is worth his weight in gold.

So, what’s to go? Well quite a lot, the walls have got to be all painted again. The wall cupboards have all got to go on. The dishwasher door has to be fitted. When it comes. As it was damaged and won’t be here until Thursday. The fridge and freezer have to be fitted and those doors on. They will be a nightmare. The windowsill has to be fitted as well as the frame around the door and skirting board. Lights have to be fitted in units and of course our worktops and the extractor fan and plugs have to be fitted I think unless they were done today, they have to go from white to silver casings. Our conservatory has to be cleaned and painted then we can start to fill our cupboards before our new unit our joiner is making us will be ready to put the Chrystal and china in. I would say to be safe another two weeks. But at least hot pie and chips and that is what is on the menu tomorrow as our shopping arrives at five in the evening. Tonight? I think after a couple of days of microwave meals for the family, it’s a Chinese meal for them, I may have the same. As I am fine now, apart from my leg is still burning, my stomach is great, will take it easy though. It will be nice to have a walk with Wagga along to our local restaurant. The Pizza places are well off my list as for MC’s? not on your Nelly. How anyone can eat that paper food is beyond me.

Gosh the smell of soldering is awful it doesn’t even smell safe.
Talking of safe, I hope the plumber will remember to bring me a gas safe certificate?

Well it’s almost five now and the lad has just been in again to do something to our radiators in the lounge bless him, he is a real hard worker. There is hilarity coming from my kitchen. I hope we are all laughing from now on.

I wrote that half an hour ago and after a quick peep in the kitchen, I’m delighted to say that I have tried my cooker, no way I have cooked in it or on it yet, but learned of the digets. It’s a range cooker electric ovens and grill and gas top and it is so easy the buttons are huge clumpy and classy. A bit like me. Hahahaha. The sad news is my joiner has another job so won’t be able to finish off Thursday and Friday. I am dreading telling Hub that one. He is late from work today. He has had to stay behind tomorrow too. So, he will be tired. He hoped apart from our bit paint and work tops everything would be done in the kitchen this week. But I may tell him it won’t, after a bath is ran for him and he has eaten. Slowly slowly.

Our kids have gone out for a drive and it’s a beautiful evening, so Sham is wearing a cute sun dress she is so sweet like a little girl. Oh, I hear the distant sound of an ice cream van. I so wish I could run out there and find it? It’s beautiful out there, may grab half an hour before dinner. Tomorrow we will make more progress and I just hope that the work tops go well for the measurements. Later Gators.

MANCHESTER

Today words fail me. Words that I would feel comfortable about writing here. Thank you, President Trump, for your words relating to the cowardly actions of one very sick individual who killed himself last night to speed his journey to hell, where the devil will celebrate with him. Now how that person will be wishing he had never listened to those who influenced and controlled him. Too late. As it’s too late for his Mother, Father, Grandparents and other family members as well as a friend who thought they knew this fool. How awful it must be for his family to know they have lost someone they loved and who is hated by most of the world right now. Whereas those who have been murdered in name of sickness to a very twisted mind/minds had no choice, they died they will never see their Mum and Dad, Brother Sisters or children. Friends and their places at work will remain empty for now, but their memory will never die in those who love them but now the pain for those left who have lost so much? How do we move on from here? Only one way, and that is to plead with the Muslim community to come out and be annoyed, not polite and whisper, get angry with those who say they belong to you. Do you want the UK and world to look at you and label you with their evil brush? I don’t.

There is only one thing to do now, and that is to stop hiding. Come out, pass the word onto the world this is wrong and those who commit such atrocities will be dealt with in hell not in paradise. Paradise is for those who are good. One day, the UK will snap and your blood will be on their hands because we will have had enough of murders of innocent lives.

So, in your Mosques, have meetings in your homes and among your friends, start to really live among us by joining hands to end this evil. The other option is to say nothing. Just keep watching the news, only one day, that news may have you in it or worse, a family member of yours who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. No need to wait for them after school, no need to buy their favourite food and no need to ever want to hug them again, as they, won’t be coming back to you. Feel that in your heart and do something about it now, before we lose more of us.

There is no good trying to talk with those who want, need, blood on their hands as I feel it’s too late to try to even save those people because they are so far down the lane of either depression or madness, for those who are contemplating on such matters, then I hope you will know that you won’t be a hero to the majority of the world, certainly not good Muslims, just a few crazy minds out there who pretend to befriend you. Do they really care? If so, why would they want you dead and moreover, why are they not dying? No, they stay alive to control people like you. They want to tear your parents hearts out and leave your children without a Father or Mother. How is your child going to feel knowing that you have murdered and are not there to see them grow up? Every child needs a parent. Of course, you don’t have to share the same blood to be a parent, but that blood has to be in the memory or mind of a child that that blood was good. Not poison.

Manchester came out last night to help those in need and people from all around the UK have lent a hand over the past 12 hours, but for the 22 dead and 59 injured, no helping hand will make much difference if any at all. And for every 22 people who died, there are 100 people close to them who are now in a state of pain, agony shock and don’t know how right now they are going to cope, but one thing for sure, they will keep living and they will lose any respect for Muslim people, unless you act now. Not tomorrow, not to one friend down the street, come out publicly and talk into the camera, speak on the radio and among your communities, if you know of anyone in your so-called community, who is acting very oddly now, please don’t be afraid of them, stand strong and do what your God Allah would want you to do and that is show love have respect in your actions.
Walk by our side, hand in hand. It’s no good feeling sad for tears we’ve cried, we all live on the same land, so every woman, child and man, take action if you can.

When I said, words fail me, this is me being calm. There are words in my head I want to say. Trying to keep them from spewing out from my lips as it won’t do any good now. As I have said in so many blogs, we have been given a beautiful world, stop destroying it, appreciate it and if you can’t, allow others to do so.

THE KITCHEN DIARY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good day Bloggets. After a week of being very ill, not sure if it’s something I have picked up from someone, or an infection I have got from walking into the wood outside last week, I didn’t know it was there and I think a nail went into my leg, a day after that I was violently sick for three days. Thank goodness Hub took time off work. It could even be just the way we are trying to live right now, I’m trying to clean things as we go and we are not really eating in the house I think we have cooked three times since we started our new kitchen. We have bought so many awful take outs. I don’t know how people live on them like they do. We went to McDonalds last week and honestly, the food was totally disgusting. The French fries were like spelks (splinter) from the wood off our old kitchen. As for my veggie burger? All it was, was some horrid chic peas that I love, but these were the spicy kind and no salad, no sauce it was just awful. I wasn’t feeling good it was the middle of my illness, so that could have something to do with it, along with the fact that I have just learned that the staff in our local MC’s, employ prisoners. I guess it’s a good thing that someone does, but it does make me wonder just who is cooking my food? As for a Pizza, we ate the other night too, oh my word, it was as if someone needed a new sole for their shoes and ordered the wrong size so gave it to us with some tomato slop on it.

So, microwave meals it is for us for the meanwhile. Well I say for us, for the boys. For me? I’m not eating anything but apples from the fridge and crackers freshly opened. We are using disposable cutlery and plates. Yesterday I felt my best so we went to our local farm shop and had Sunday dinner. I ate two Yorkshire Puddings which are the same as pancake mix but put into deep round oven trays and left to rise with the heat of the oven and you have it traditionally with roast beef, roast potatoes and veg. Well I had all but the meat though I got as far as the puddings and one chunk of cauliflower. Then I felt so ill I had to sadly ask the family to hurry and we had to leave.

Last night I went into the conservatory to try to make it a little more liveable. There are things everywhere like on my sofa, I just can’t find anything now. I gave up. There are parts of plugs and tools tins and other things I am like a rabbit in headlights.

Yesterday Hub got really frustrated. On Saturday he went to town, as I said I couldn’t move that day because of whatever has been wrong with me. So, I stayed home. I asked the plumber to call after lunch as we were going out, as I hoped I would be well enough to do so. He came in the morning, luckily, I was in. He made it so I could use my cooker, not oven as no electric yet, but the gas was on. Though, he told me I wouldn’t be able to use the gas the normal way until the electric was on. So how? By striking a match… Em. No…. I asked him to fit the sink when he was here he said he would do that later. My lovely joiner called him when he left without doing the sink, and he told him he would be with us first thing on Sunday morning, we got up early, but no plumber. Today is Monday, and I think he is coming tomorrow, unless he comes this afternoon.

Right now, our joiner is working hard he has been here as ever since half eight. When he was last here, he frightened me by asking if we thought the sides of the units were right? I felt I didn’t like them. Hub looked too, he said he liked them as they had a grain like wood, I said our doors are smoothed gloss it would look odd that the sides were lined? Well, long and short of it, I went in to look after our joiner went home with the young lad that had been helping him, I must say, the lad who is the Son of the plumber, is a good find. On further investigation by a grumpy Fi, I found that the grain lines on the side, giving our units a different texture, was in fact, a film, covering the units to protect them. I pealed it off a little to reveal the same texture as our doors. Few, thank goodness. So, a lot of carefully tearing the film off is in order.

Sadly, we are some doors missing. And one door is damaged. The young lad noticed a tiny mark on our dishwasher door. So that is coming out but again, another story to that.

Hub called the aftercare on Friday, long and short of it is when we ordered, they said they can’t send out until the 30th. So long away? Well we had to call back thank goodness, we did. If I had dealt with the call I would have been able to correct the prat on the other end of the phone, but Hub did and colour shmullour. They were only going to send us the replacement door, in white? Our units are cream. Now thanks to the lady on the other end who noticed it, she told Hub and now all sorted, also it’s coming sooner. So, I wonder where the first person’s head was?

We are getting a kitchen fitted that is known to be top quality, but, sadly there are a lot of reasons I wouldn’t recommend the company. I shall tell you who they are and sum up the reasons good and bad when I have written my last leg of the blog of our kitchen diary. When will that be?

Our floor is down, our joiner has done a great job of that. It’s lovely. It’s laminate but looks like cream tiles. Our walls are kind of painted. Sadly, they need another coat. Grateful to our joiner who told me it needs another coat. I would hate to let our painter go then learn later that the old red showed through but it still is. Even though the painter has painted three coats over it. I kind of hoped that he would paint emulsion over it firstly, but he didn’t so this is why you can still see the red. I just hope another coat will do? Can you imagine if you never get rid of the red? When he was here on Saturday, I did say when you do the conservatory, you must put emulsion on first and he said he would. Bless him, he will be sick of us, as he did the walls but then the electrician came and dug a huge hole in our wall so that had to be filled, plastered and painted again. I hoped the paint work would be done before our units went in but with him having to come back again, it’s not going to be.

The painter is a nice guy, so hopefully he will be OK. It’s not our fault.

Our new cooker looks great, I can’t wait to cook on it. I love it, it looks so very accessible too. Well, apart from the gas. Smile. If I’m careful with that, it will be so good. Oh, I hate cooking, but suddenly I will love it you watch.

Our garden is a mess of cardboard and last night as we put the dogs to bed, thankfully, Hub checked on our LF, and he had a huge chunk of wood in his mouth. Well, he must have got it out of the garden, gosh that was lucky, if Hub had not looked, and how or why he did? I’m not sure, as he never puts them to bed it’s always me, but was so ill last night I couldn’t bend down to them. Well he rescued the wood and put it in the bin. I just want it all away, all in and all clean. I want to have the energy to feel better and be able to scrub my house. There are bags everywhere. Boxes and just things laying around. I hope today our dryer will be fitted and we can at last wash some clothes.

My joiner is going to make us a unit for our Christel. It will be lovely as his woodwork is stunning. Solid, heavy, and rustic. Then we can put away our glasses that are everywhere upstairs. There isn’t a space on the floor in any of the rooms. It’s a good thing our guest room is empty right now. Well of people anyhow.

Someone asked me the other day how far we are on? It’s difficult to say, as we have to wait for the work tops to be measured, then made then fitted. So that will be at least ten days from now, but the most of the work I would say is about 70% done. Excluding the paint work in the kitchen and conservatory. As for how far we are with the house being a home and clean? 1% finished. It’s all making me very down it’s a project I really wish I hadn’t started. A friend of ours said she did her kitchen and it took her a year to do and she can see. She also said never again. If we were putting like for like in, then it would be fine. And of course, if we didn’t have the builders from hell at the start it would also help. The guy who came, the plumber on Saturday, brought a real odd bod with him. I didn’t like him being in my house. I just didn’t trust him. He said to our Son, who did your plastering, I can do it better, I’m a plasterer. Well, very nice, but it’s all done now and it is what it is.

I hope my next update is telling you our kitchen is all fitted. The radiator is in and all units are fitted with doors and electricals in place. We don’t yet know if our fridge is working or freezer, dishwasher, washing machine or dryer, I just pray the man in the sky is not having a joke with us till the end and allows a smoother journey now.

I can’t say it’s been a long month any more as we are now approaching seven weeks, so into month two. I just want to see the wood for the trees now.

DIARY OF I'M BACK. BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good day Bloggets. Gosh, I’m back. Just. I have been and I am, so ill. Not at all sure what is wrong with me but tomorrow I shall attempt to call our Doctors and see what they will be able to advise me. I absolutely hate anything to do with medics. They scare me beyond belief. Every day since Wednesday, I have told myself and my Husband I’m sure tomorrow, I will be better. But tomorrow, I’m not. The only one good thing that has come out of all of this, is that I have lost 9lbs since Wednesday.

Right now, I’m scared out of my brain. But, I must, be feeling better, because I am writing to you. No way I could write a blog that was of any interest yesterday as my mind was full of pain.

Boy Wonder went for his operation on his toe on Thursday. Shamrock was dying to get her hands on his wounds and put a new bandage on. I was praying that she would leave it alone as she could cause infection. Thankfully BW phoned and asked for advice and he was told to leave it alone. Her dream is to be a nurse and she is like a little girl playing nurses. But she doesn’t wash her hands when she is touching wounds before, or after this worries me.

Good news about Shamrock, she passed her driving test. First time so she has done very well. Hub went in her new car and he said she is a very good safe driver. It was lovely to see her so happy.

So, another weekend with mess all around us. I just hope I feel better soon that I can have energy to start to clean up. Off to attempt my kitchen diary now then I hope I can stay up awake long enough to watch my favourite drama tonight on TV. So far, the longest I have managed to stay awake is three and a bit hours. At least my eyes have stopped hurting. This is a bonus. Hub was asking me the other day what I could see out of them? I replied. From my right eye, nothing as if to look from my elbow. My left eye saw dark red, almost purple. Red and orange dark pink mauve, yellow, brown and grey then there was a colour that I have never seen before. That was from my left eye. Today, I see some light from my right eye, my left see’s black and grey with a dot of light in the top right corner, but that can be even if I put my hands over my eyes, so I’m not really seeing it. I still try to move my eyes to make the muscles work though.

I have different pains every day from my right eye but some days are so bad it’s unbearable. Today I have a good day. It’s a normal pain that I can live with because I am used to it. But for the past few days, my eyes have been unbearable. Poor Hub has sore eyes all the time.

The weather has been really cool for the past few days and very wet too. Our gardens really need it.

Our news is full of elections. Our Government fighting among its elves.

In Canada, a sea lion reached to grab a little girl and dragged her into the water. I won’t even open that news article because I don’t want to learn that they have killed the sea lion.
In Australia, a café has done away with coffee cups and are using avocado skins instead.
Without a sink, and most of our dishes put away, I wonder if I should start to chop up avocado’s?
From today in the UK, people won’t be able to buy a 10 pack of cigarettes. Only 20. Why? Because kids buy 10, so it’s to stop kids I guess buying them.
Our medical news has been full of sleep deprivation. If you only get five hours sleep per night, you will put on average 2lbs per week. Well that may explain one of the reasons I have lost weight this week as I have slept so much thank goodness for my Hub who has had a couple of days off work. I don’t know how I would have coped this week with him at work. How I would have been able to see to the workmen the way I have been?

Right, I will go for now, I hope you are all well. Thank you so much for your kind words. X

DIARY OF ALL I CAN DO BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good evening Bloggets. I still feel so very ill. Not sure what on earth is wrong with me. I feel so sick at least today I haven’t been. I don’t know what I would have done today if Hub had not took the day off. Again, spent most of it in bed. Something I never do. Our joiner came this morning for the delivery of our kitchen. I think we have about 32 large boxes to empty and get rid of. Then the shopping was delivered again I couldn’t see to it. I feel as if I have been kicked all over by a horse and my head is killing every time I’m ill, my eyes hurt as if hot blood pouring behind them. Even my fingers to type hurt. I still have the burning fire in my stomach but at least I don’t feel so sick anymore. I’m stressed about the mess we are living in. And our vitamins are obviously low I can’t remember the last time I had a vegetable or bit of salad. The dust has been awful. Our units have arrived and there are some missing items. More on my kitchen diary later.

It’s a real sick bay here today, Boy Wonder went for an operation on his foot and is bleeding though a thick bandage is on it.

Shamrock has been around it’s her driving test tomorrow, she is confident she will pass, but she is having her test in the middle of the day, not sure if that is good or bad.

Hub has had his dinner, along with BW dinner ping. Our groceries had lots of them delivered. I hate them. Not that I feel like eating a thing.

I have just made an appointment to get our hair cut on Saturday, I am hopeful I will be better for then. I was sad to learn our hairdresser has left. He was a great guy. The way he cuts my hair, I only needed it cut three times per year. The one we used to go to locally, I had to go every six weeks. I will miss him. He was an interesting character. The kind of guy who thought he was still 20, though he is in fact in his thirties.

I hope I’m better for the hair dressers, as right now, I can’t even think about brushing my hair I hurt so badly.

It’s rained for days, we needed this for our gardens we have had a real dry winter. Very little snow, more like sleet. Everything in our garden is snapping it’s that dry.

I have lots to tell you about our kitchen. That will come in my kitchen diary when I’m feeling better, also will let you know about Shamrock, how she did on her driving test.

Part of me is not wanting to publish this blog, as I feel it is boring me so goodness knows what it is doing to you. I’m just not feeling like reading, writing or even talking, but I miss you and know there are some of you who start your days bless you by reading what I have to write… So how can I end my blog on some kind of inspirational note?

When you are not practicing, someone else is getting better than you. Whatever you are trying to achieve right now, you have started, if you stop, where will it get you? Keep turning that wheel. Step forward, reach out, look at the stars even if you have to use your imagination, rather than the ground. Climb that mountain there is only one way to go, forward and upwards.
A quote now from Eleanor Roosevelt.
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. -Eleanor Roosevelt #inspiration #quote

If you are feeling ill now, I wish you well a hundred times over.

DIARY OF THE SIC BED BY FIONA CUMMINGS

My one day off and I feel so ill it’s unreal. Early this morning Hub left for work today his alarm went off at twenty past six. I thought no workmen today, a lay in. No, shortly after Hub left, I felt so very ill. My stomach was so bad I thought I was going to burn from the inside out. I couldn’t even turn over in bed. Then the doorbell went. Oh, no, it’s a work man, who has forgotten to tell me? I need to open the doors and the back gate. I tried to get out of bed, not a chance. I pathetically shouted on my Son I felt bad as he never gets a lay in. He went to the door for me it was the lovely delivery lady the only person who waits. Gosh she waited about three minutes. It was pouring with rain too. I reached for my phone and it was only eight in the morning. BW came back to bed. I asked him if he locked the front door. Answer, no Mum it’s daylight. So, I crawled out of bed and really struggled to get downstairs to lock it. I hardly could get back up but no way I was able to see to my Waggatail. Thankfully Hub let’s her out when he lets the Little Fella out before work. I think this is the worst I have felt in many years. Writing this now, I feel so bad I need to go back to bed. I have let Waggs out in the garden, I have been violently sick and the pains in my stomach is like nothing on earth. As if a devil’s fire is inside of me.

I think I am going to try to have another hour and then I hope I will feel better for our painter coming tonight. I hoped Hub would be able to leave a little early,he said no. Well I then got a phonecall from him to say he was leaving quarter of an hour earlier. The pain is spreading. So, I shall close for now and hope to be back later better.

I’m back and after three attempts today, at last I think I am up for longer than four minutes. I feel absolutely dreadful. This is the trouble when you are around someone who works in a hospital, I guess we will now pick up everything. Especially if our immune system is running low and it has to be what we have lived on for the past few weeks, turning into months.

My poor baby girl has been such a patient dog. I really needed to get out today with her, I’m just grateful that my workmen didn’t come today, having said that, there was a truck pulled up and two men got out and rang the bell. Twice, then knocked, then spoke to each other in English, so it’s not a delivery person, as 90% of them are not English. Also, they don’t ring my bell, the lady does who came this morning, but the rest pull up, and run. Why even pull up? I guess so they can leave a note to say they rang. Even though they don’t. No car means no people because everyone in the UK has a car of course…. Crazy.

I have been out of bed for a few
minutes and I can’t talk properly, I sound as if I’m on my last legs. About to take my last breath. The way I feel now, it wouldn’t surprise me. I’m not at all used to being ill out of the three of us, I’m the one who is never ill. When I am ill, I’m so ill. Thank goodness, it’s rare and I hope I am back to normal tomorrow as it’s a big day, all of our kitchen units are arriving. Oh, I’m so looking forward to that.

It’s never stopped raining all day. As I lay in bed, the blackbirds sang a beautiful tune to me whilst the doves, well, Okay, wood pigeons, harmonised. I like to think of them as doves. My favourite kind of flying creature in the world.

Best go for now. Take care.x

COME DINE WITH ME BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Hi Bloggets, getting ready for our delicious evening meal, a family around an old oak rustic farmhouse table sitting on matching chairs with high backs and lemon coloured cushions to match the place mats made from material with tassels. In the centre of my table, is a porcelain salt and pepper pot, bright lemon in colour with a tea pot on a stand that is an old wooden block that has been passed down my family for generations and a milk jug sits next to the tea pot with a lidded sugar dish, all in lemon.

Our dinner will be served on a trolley by my seat with colourful serving dishes and huge serving spoons. The aroma coming from them is simply mouth-watering. A long plate with homemade bread just out of the oven I poured melted garlic butter from a pan on my stove and decorating the bread plate is parsley and carrots shaped into carnations.

We will eat a feast of the finest foods and then indulge a dessert, whilst we continue to dine drinking and enjoying a good old family conversation, whilst we keep warm by the log fire in the corner of the room. Where the flames dance along the solid oak floor. The rain pitters against the window where I see the daily view of the beautiful English countryside fields of seven different colours with lambs frolicking as the farmer ploughs in a truck of bright colours of yellow and red, with a blue bonnet. A babbling stream bounces by to beat the fish who chase the ripples. The rock formations are stunning looking as if they are about to kiss the blue grey sky as the fluffy white clouds clamber onto a sunset which is threatening to paint a rainbow, after the silver droplets have had their day.

Well, OK, back to reality, I must have dropped off for a moment. So, among boxes I find a spoon and manage to get three mugs that don’t match and now looking for my phone to call for a take away Pizza.

But, it is raining.

(C) Fiona Cummings

DIARY OF THE GHOST AT THE DOOR BY FIONA CUMMINGS

My Son has just come home, full of happy words. The absolute top boss has been to his place today and knew his name… At first I smiled then had a sweat on, then though it’s because he has been spoken about, thankfully in a good way. His work has been watched and there is a small chance he will be entered into a competition, but it’s all over Britain and most of the entries have worked there years not eight months. I really really, hope he is entered but a long way to go. Then I am not sure how he will do as at that level, they are experts in their field. He has a portfolio now of all the creations he has made and he said to me today something that made me bite my lip. “Mum I really wish I could show you this, you would be so proud.”” Well I didn’t rush to the bathroom to cry, but instead felt the pride I have for him grow. One day I pray I can see my Sons achievements by looking at photographs. But in his explanation to me, I wanted to tell him through words which won’t even come close to saying exactly how I feel, just how very proud I am and how I want the very best for him. It’s so lovely to see such passion. I want to do more for him which would require a Lottery win, but as I forgot to put our numbers on this week, that isn’t going to help.

So, we spoke for seven minutes, he took Waggatail out for the toilet as I’m not sure what tools are out there right now, we have had electrician in plumbers and now still though it’s almost five in the evening, our joiner, he has never stopped. Bless him. So, my ceiling is awful, a mess I am sure, I shall just get guests to look at my floor as they enter. As for when they need to walk through our crooked door, well, give them some wine on arrival so they will think it’s them. I heard BW saying to our joiner, how he loves the colour on the wall. it is different that is for sure.

Today it’s wet and windy. Quite cool too. This is May, has no one told the weather yet?

Today my electrician came turned off the electrics so I had no internet for a while giving me time to tidy up some files looking back on a couple, I felt sad, as certain people are not in my life now who I once adored. But their words are deleted now as I guess memories will follow, disappearing and going the same way as the files went.

I also did some work for Hub and some utility work cancelling bills we have to pay each month that are not necessary. I hope. I can’t believe the attitude on the phone of some people. Then I called up about our bathroom… Someone needs to come out and see to our bath. We are still guaranteed but the lady on the phone had my old mobile, two doors down the road’s address and their sir name, but our bathroom details. I wonder if this sick group who have disrupted the internet this week are responsible for that?

Who would do such a thing? What if their Grandparent was about to go for surgery and it was urgent to save their life and that happened, so half way through the operation, they had to stop? How would they feel if they had a baby on life support? Or if they are the kind of people who would do this, they care about no one but themselves, so what if they were in a crash or something and needed an operation to save their leg. And it couldn’t go ahead so they faced life in a wheelchair.

I hope they catch them and lock them up. Don’t give them a computer in jail either. These are sick people craving for attention. Sadly, I think what may happen is they will be caught and paid fortunes for doing the same kind of thing but reversed to protect companies. They should be made to do this to stay fed in jail. Gosh if only I ran the world. Haha.

What else has been happening in our news?
Google news
UK
A chef who chopped up his transgender wife before cooking her body parts told a repairman who came to his flat to “ignore the smell”.

Moors Murderer Ian Brady is dead. After receiving palliative care, what a waste of money. the BBC understands. Brady, who is 79, was held at Ashworth Hospital, a secure psychiatric unit on Merseyside.
I hope his death was very long and painful.

Boys could be allowed to wear skirts at a north London private school if a plan for gender neutral uniforms comes in. Highgate School is considering mix-and-match
I could say a lot on this subject, believe me.

Not long before Boy Wonder and his girl go on holiday. Another five days of heart in mouth for me until he gets back. I guess it’s a lot less fearful going with a girl than a bunch of lads. But I can’t wait until he is home. Come September, I think I will hardly see him. One thinks he may be living elsewhere for three weeks.
On the other hand, perhaps not, more on that subject in about two months… I hope.

Something odd just happened. My door bell rang and I answered it thinking another stupid delivery person running away. No one was there at all. But moreover, the door bell played a silly tune rather than the normal ding dong, it’s done this before. It’s when the electric has been turned off. It played it’s a mad mad world.
Well my doorbell knows.

THE KITCHEN DIARY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good morning Bloggets, gosh, I am wearing earphones, no I’m not on a train, or in a busy city sitting in the shopping centre. I’m in fact in my house. A knock at my door this morning at a quarter past eight, our lovely plumbers. Father and Son, they are the sweetest couple of lads. Really the Son is so lovely as is his Dad. This weekend has been one of mixed goings on. In a simple kind of way, no sky diving or journeys veer submarine, but as simple as one can get but incredibly busy.

Right now, the sounds coming from my kitchen is one of a building sight, whilst holes are getting created right through the outside walls, I’m just waiting for the house that Jack built to crumble.

At the weekend, we were up early again, to see our painter, what would he make of the colour? Well, in fact he likes it as does Boy Wonder, it’s not exactly the colour I wanted to achieve, remember I wanted the palest of orange almost white? Well, it’s more apparently like a nectarine. Hmm. What colour is a nectarine? It’s apparently the lightest shade on one. My Son likened it to a peach. Oh my, a peach kitchen? My lovely joiner said it was a definite orange. But not tangerine orange. But the painter who you would think would know, said it was really lovely. Unless he is trying to pacify me. Haha.

Before he painted, he had to fix the damage the awful builders did before the good guys came to town. He said as everyone else has said, it’s a disgrace. Even our sliding doors are dreadful. They are difficult to open and close. They are on totally wrong and the new handle they put on is slack. It’s a real shame as the door itself is one of good quality. It’s the fitters and builders that need all sacking. The salesman was the best and the ladies in the office are wonderful, but the builders that they recommended and window fitters and I had two different ones, are rubbish.

Half an hour now the plumbers have been going constantly drilling a hole. My joiner has arrived and work on our kitchen commences. Today the floor is getting put in. Whoop whoop.

Saturday and Sunday I placed the furniture in the conservatory differently to make room for our white goods which arrived on Saturday and Sunday. Gosh, this weekend we have received our new utilities and sold the old ones. A couple of things left to sell but we are using them right now. My bones are aching and I was in fear the other night as I was sure my hernia had come back or another one I should say, I pray not as my last operation went very wrong and I don’t think I can go for another operation on my stomach it’s been through too much already. So, I have tried to take it easier this weekend with lifting. I said to Hub it will have to be my brain and his brawn. Gosh he is strong. It’s in his genes, his Dad and brothers are big strapping lads, my Hub doesn’t resemble a big strapping lad, but he certainly has their strength and I love how versatile he is, his plumbing skills I have spoken about before and he lately has fixed an electrical problem we had as well as fixed our TV. That on top of lifting and cooking and with his job which requires many skills as well as a good brain, what a man. Smile. But this weekend he didn’t have his strong Fifi of a wifey to help him I had to just navigate. Hold and support as we transported heavy goods from our house along the side of the outside of the house into the garage and even into people’s cars/vans as they came to collect.

Any on lookers will wonder if we have opened a shop of late the amount of comings and goings.

Saturday night, at last by eight in the evening we were done. We had tried to make some food outside. We used the microwave plugged into an outside plug and cooked with the two-ringed mini hob we bought which Hub said gets white hot. Very dangerous, but hey, knobs we can use. Smile, so a simple sausage pasta with cheese for the family and me? Baked potatoes. It took ages to do, trying to find the box with our dishes in another box upstairs this time with pans in and another with microwave plate in. Then locate the fridge, yes, we know where we put it, but by this stage there was boxes of stuff everywhere as we tried to sort out more in the conservatory to make way for the white goods. Some had arrived some were to come on Sunday. As for water for the pan? Oh, don’t even ask…. Let’s just say I’m glad the plumber put the outside tap back on for us last week. Or was that our joiner, I can’t remember. It’s on any way, or, it was, before yesterday’s delivery came and for some reason, they took something off to do with the outside tap, not sure what or why, as yesterday we didn’t eat at home, more on that later.

Neighbours watching us cooking in the garden will be amused. Especially seeing us draining the pasta…

Back to 8.p.m on Saturday, time for the Euro Vision Song contest. Hub and I really love that despite what Europe give us for points. Haha, Brexit? Well, we did better this year than we have done for six years. The winner from Portugal, wow, stunning, absolutely the best song that has ever won Eurovision and I think 49 years they have entered and this is the first time they have won it, and absolutely well deserved.

Salvador Sobral, sang in Portuguese a beautiful love song. Whilst there were typical songs and gimmicks as there should be in Eurovision, like this year there were yodelling, dancing gorilla’s and other fun factors, the competition was stunning. The level of talent this year was overwhelming. But still, Portugal stood on its own, no other country could touch the competition.

Sunday, we worked hard again painter came early and another coat of fruit was painted on our walls. More dust I removed and life started to get cleaner. My lungs have probably aged ten years and I am sure I felt my first millimetre of a line on my face last night.

As one of the delivery men asked for my autograph, no, he hasn’t read my writing, smile, I had to sign for something to say it had been delivered. I told him I was blind and asked if he could show me where to sign? Haha, to which he replied. Oh my, this was funny.
“Oh, so very sorry. Just there, in the white box!””
Very nice. White box Shmite box. know what I mean?
Some people…

Hub and I were delighted to know our dogs had a great free run for an hour, though I do wonder if it’s a bit much for Waggatail. She took forever to stop making steam train sounds. As for the Little Fella? He was ready to go again.

As Hub and I took a well-earned break in the front garden enjoying a rare thing, the sun, our friend brought us some homemade cakes. Bless. Lemon ones this time. Nowhere to put them so they are in a tub in the hall right now.

Well my plumbers have left, now, the other end of the kitchen is getting drilled through, this is a different sounding drill, gosh. This one sounds really serious. Now making a hole for my cooker fan… I hope the mice don’t pay us a visit tonight?

Last night Hub and I had a walk around to our local restaurant. It was a warm sunny evening so we took the long way around and met our Son there and had a really lovely family dinner. To sit at the table again was a luxury. I can’t remember the last time we did that. It’s been weeks. We laughed talked about the world as always and had a deep and meaningful conversation as well as spoke of light subjects. The politics of life. Just breathed. Away from the stress we have at home but moreover, the work we constantly do right now, we never seem to be able to sit down for more than half an hour with the exception of the Eurovision on Saturday.

Back home, BW went out and was back late considering he had to be up today at half five in the morning. Hub woke for work at half six with horrific pains in his face with his TN. It’s stress that brings that on making it worse I am sure. Hopefully his stress is coming to an ending, unless our kitchen is damaged when it turns up on Thursday? Gosh I pray not.


Great news, the electrician is on his way, so a day of lots of stuff getting done.