THOUGHTS OF LIFE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

My Son has just gone out smelling absolutely beautiful. He is exhausted. He is working at least three weeks in a row six days per week and overtime every day. I’m stressed worrying about him. Hub just put his head in his hands tonight. What can we do? He’s an adult and he will do what he wants.

 

Well my handy man came. A lovely guy. He has put some smoke alarms up for me. BW isn’t impressed. The guy asked where I wanted them. I told him near the tv. The telly is in the corner of the room but the guy has put the alarm almost in the middle of the ceiling. Oh, our Son said it looks ugly and he can’t stop looking at it. Well it’s drilled now, so it will have to stay. He was meant to put a toilet seat on for me. So, he took off the old one and went to put the new one on but sadly the fixtures were missing. So, now, we have no toilet seat…. Haha. Apart from that he did a great job.

 

My friend came for a coffee and bless her heart she said she would take my seat back to the shop which is across that awful road I hate crossing and she has a car, so a five-minute job. Well of course I didn’t have the receipt. I hate them. They are bits of paper that make no sense to me. So, my friend took it back and after quite a few questions like where is the receipt, and did your friend pay cash or card? To which my friend didn’t know the answer, but hey, she came back with a toilet seat. And this one has fixtures. I’m kind of thinking I’m going to give it a go and try to fit it myself, in fact I may do it now, as Hub is in the bath.

 

Well that was last night. This is now. lunch time. I couldn’t fix the toilet seat. It makes no sense to me at all. I remember our friend Like, last year he bought one and thought like me, it will be so easy to fit…. And like me learned it wasn’t. there are two holes how complicated can this be?

Answer?

Very!

 

Not even the two screws I got with it make sense. They have attachments and I don’t know if you are meant to take those attachments off or not, I dare not try to remove them in case they are not meant to come off. And the screws look far to big to fit into the holes provided as for the holes on the actual seat? Well, it would be nice to know where they are. Never did I think it would come down to talking about piggin toilets in my blog. Hahaha.

 

I hate being beaten and I have given up. In the olden days, when transport was less and fewer cars were on the small narrow roads, life was sensible. Now for whatever reason flat packs and well, toilet seats just don’t mean anything. At one time there were four square holes and four-square screws. Now there are eleven round holes, four square holes and three triangle screws in life. are we meant to be challenged in such a way? Is it part of the future for humans to develop into robots?

 

We will evolve into machines that don’t think for themselves. We will be programmed to exist and have no emotions. No feelings towards others, and I shall look back and say, well, I blame the toilet seat!!!

 

I haven’t long been in. on my return I made some food as I hadn’t eaten. Two much needed cups of tea later and here I am.

 

My Waggatail has been well rewarded and now she is sound asleep with her large teddy bear. She worked amazingly well today. I couldn’t believe the traffic. There is one point I have to cross a car park. Well as we were waiting the traffic was coming both ways. Constantly. So normally what happens there is cars pull up I presume wave to let us go but I always wave them on as there is no way we should cross in front of a car especially if there are cars coming the other way. I guess if the drivers haven’t stopped to let me go, then they will just think I’m rather friendly waving to all passing.

 

I spent the morning speaking with medical second year medical students. They were so charming. One in particular will make the most amazing doctor. Gosh to have a brain like his. I spoke for an hour. And thankfully my dog lay by my feet only vocalised once I know oddly if it was the afternoon, she wouldn’t have lay still that long. Unless it’s in a restaurant, then she will ay under the table for a while, but in general if I have a meeting or whatever she is sniffing the air crying and wriggling. But today, perfect about from one outburst. It was a bit of an ice breaker, I guess.

 

I enjoyed it today. It was good to get out and feel a part of life and think that I have helped someone. 

 

Hub again is miles away from home. But hopefully he will be back in time for our pub quiz tonight. I’m washing again but apart from vacuuming the house, I’m not going to get carried away with a meal tonight. Something simple. Yesterday I worked loads around the house. And tomorrow I will be doing air cleaning. You know how you do air guitar, where you pretend to play the guitar but make no sound? Well that will be me cleaning. I won’t be pretending, I shall just have to be quiet as Hub is working from home. So, I shall be at the opposite end of the house tomorrow. Fridays is his day when he is on the phone constantly. Call after call. Starting from just after half eight and going until almost five without a break. I don’t know how he doesn’t lose his voice.

 

A few thoughts for today. In my life I have had to learn I can not control the weather in life, storms came and went some impacted upon my soul. I have felt the bitter cold the sharp ice and I have felt damp right through with dirty heavy rain that fell on me. But I can dream of rainbows what I think they look like. And as long as the sun shines, there is hope.

 

The fury of nature, the battles can control us, but at the end of the day, we have one person we can rely on. One person is in total control of us and that person is ourselves. It’s up to us whether we listen to our heart soul and minds. We can be hurt by others, but we will fix ourselves. We can disassociate ourselves from others who are like a poison in our world. We don’t have to have them in our lives and when we realise that, we are free. We can visit pain in our minds but we can also imagine joy. We can dream and we have nightmares. Some in which we wake from and then there are some of us who have to live through the horrors of life. but we can hide away, we can learn to walk with the devil and have our angel by our side to protect  us. We don’t have to ever be desperate enough to side with badness. It’s a much better place to be happy and have calmness in our lives. We can close the door of our past and whenever it bursts open, we can think of that sunshine and change the pattern of our minds to feel and smell a different day. We don’t have to endure life’s clouds. If we want to get away from the sun, we can find that shaded tree and just take a breath and chill.

 

You don’t have to be going ten miles per hour. We don’t always have to push ourselves. We can just quite simply stand still observe life and take in every lesson.

 

Clear our minds and focus on what is best for us and how we are going to achieve that desire.

 

And finally, a fantastic quote from an author from my Sons childhood. Michael Morpurgo.

“wherever my story takes me,  however dark and difficult the theme, there is always some hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart. I know the sun will rise in the morning, that there is a light at every tunnel.

 

  

In short Bloggets, be happy with yourself as you are all you have at the end of the day. If you don’t like yourself, then change little by little every day. Follow your dreams before you wake up.

 

NEWS AND STATS BY FIONA CUMMINGS

And now I’m waiting for another tradesman to come. I have five jobs for him. This is the trouble we have to wait if we want one picture or photo hung, we have to accumulate lots of jobs, otherwise no one will come out for one picture hook. I am proud to say though the last time we got this guy, he hung all of my pictures in my sitting room but when he left, there was one lonely looking picture we forgot, so I hung it up not telling Hub as he told me not to as of course it would be wonky and not stay on the wall…. Well middle figure and tongue fell out of mouth moment as my Son said the picture is perfectly straight and touching wood as one types, it’s still up….

My friend is coming for coffee this afternoon too so I’m kind of hoping my handy man will turn up first. Let’s see. I have done all of my housework for the day floors all cleaned vacuumed and mopped and dusted right through changed bed too and washed downstairs toilet just needed to do upstairs bathroom, but that can wait. Kitchen all cleaned and conservatory done too. Now it’s chill time as dinner is even sorted. What is wrong with me? Remember yesterday’s blog when I had been reading about how lack of sleep can make you disorganised? Well max two hours last night and I’m motivated. Very unlike me.

 

 Tomorrow I am hoping Wagga will be a good girl as we are on our way to talk with some university students. Please God, don’t let her wine right through it…. If they give her eye contact, that will be her done. She loves people. Where as Hubs dog is so very not bothered as long as he has his Daddy, he is fine. He is so well behaved and isn’t a people pleaser. I remember when Hub and I went to the local university they had a day where they were to chill with our dogs. May be play with them? Certainly interact. Well it was when the Little Fella was young as in two, he just didn’t want to know. As for my Waggs? She was around their necks. They loved her. And in that situation, she is perfect. LF even gave one poor lass his butt as he just wasn’t wanting to know her. It was so funny as we were to sit in this large room. Students came in in groups of about three or four. When it was time for them to leave, my Waggs stood near the entrance the gap where the kids came and left, and popped her head around the corner as if to say, next?

 

Tomorrow isn’t her day though. They may want to talk to her, but that isn’t what they are there for. haha. They are there to learn. And not about dogs.

 

In our news today, headlines read.

In Cairo, a dreadful fire in a main train station. And sadly, there are people who have died.

Awful fighting between India and Pakistan.

Apocalyptic’ blaze is how a huge fire was explained after Britain’s hottest February day. And how many fires I have been reading about all over the world? But another headline that is really scary read. Britain covered with radiation fog.

 

An earthquake at Gatwick London magnitude of 3.7 tremor shook homes at 3am

5 deaths in London in 9 days. Another twenty-year-old lost his life due to stabbing.

In Germany, a fat rat was rescued as it was stuck in a manhole cover. Hahaha. I wonder what they did with it after saving it? Just wave it bye bye?

 

Stats for my blog page in total so far are as follows. This just shows the top ten countries so thank you to all who read from every country. As long as you read, I shall write

UK 137,954

US, 123,607

Russia, 10,927

Canada, 10,059

Australia, 7,724

Germany, 7,650

Ukraine, 7,581

France, 2,472

South Africa, 1973

Ireland, 1,558

Counting all countries outside the top ten, we have reached the grand total of 358,752 reads in total. Xxx

 

 

OUT OF THIS WORLD BY FIONA CUMMINGS

At last I can sit down. Its been a busy day. Up early today so much to do and loads of phone calls before 10. Sorting out life as thankfully our decorating is finished. Three weeks to get one bedroom done 9 feet by 7.  Tiny. But the guy who ended up doing the job was great a lovely man a neighbour and has done an excellent job.  So, I have ventured into the office to retrieve some furniture curtains, bedding and so on.

 And ventured straight back out.

Goodness knows where to begin, when you can’t see and the room is upside down, it’s a total nightmare. So, what to do about it?

Ask ones Hubby for help

Who also can’t see?

Double trouble.

 

Hub is a long way from home at the moment. He won’t be in until 7 tonight. Our Son has had to meet with someone after work too so not sure when he is in. but dinner is all ready for them both. The thought of food for me right now is a no no.

 

I managed to clear the landing and you know what? it’s really odd how because there is things that are not normally there because of the room change, it’s really disorienting I almost misjudged the stairs yesterday as the feel of that area and sound is so different. It is so enclosed. Well it was, it’s clear now thankfully. I moved the heavy robe it almost killed me. I couldn’t understand why it wouldn’t move closer to the wall as there was a big gap at the bottom and all the way up. No way it was budging, so I was really confused, because of the gap left. It took a while for me to remember that the wardrobe has a kind of roof on the top, so it was the top that was preventing me from getting it closer to the wall. So, I couldn’t have it that way it had to go back the same way it was before it was painted. I tried to change the furniture around in there, but nope.

 

Then the base of the single bed then the heavy mattress.  All that is left to do in there now is our Sons rocking horse from when he was a baby. It was the last thing my Mum bought him. It’s huge but I will never get rid of it. It will do for my grandchildren. There was a bedside unit but I’m not putting that back. And then there was a large basket I used to put my ironing in that is buried somewhere in the office, under the pillows and duvet for the bed. And then the bag with the new curtains and bedding, as for our curtain pole? Oh, my I have a man coming tomorrow to fit it and I really can’t imagine where it is. Hub put it somewhere and filled that room with everything but the rocking horse so, I haven’t got a clue where it is after asking him vie phone as he’s on his way home now, he too doesn’t know.

 

I’m loving the colour in my head. My mind is telling me it’s so pretty. BW said it’s beautiful. He has good taste when it comes to home furnishing and I trust him. It’s duck egg which is a very pastel blue with a hint of very light green.  I got the bedding to match and curtains. If I can find them, and a lovely light fitting which if you remember I told you it’s a cream bird cage with embossed blue birds. It’s metal. There are birds on the curtains and bedding, so I hope it will look lovely. My friend Julie will be staying soon in there.

 

My biscuit man has just called. For those in the UK, he is so like the voice double of Post man Pat. The children’s character. For those abroad our biscuits are your cookies. He is so sweet. And, he always gives me free biscuits. I like that man. He sells lots of lovely cakes and other treats as well as tea and coffee and he comes to my door. He brings a basket to the door from his van. Yeah, he even has a van, just like Post man Pat. Well, not sure it will be red like that one but it’s a van…

 

When I have enough funny quotes from him, I shall let you know of them. Each week he comes out with something funny. The last one will take some beating. Oh, my, when I told Hub, I thought he was going to have a fit he laughed so much. I have to say, I wasn’t laughing when it happened…

One day Bloggets, that will be a blog.

In the meanwhile, I like my free biscuits and the fact he is so handy and friendly. Bless him.

 

I have made Boy Wonder a vegan shepherd’s pie homemade. And for Hub he is having chicken breast wrapped in bacon with a mushroom sauce, mash potatoes and green beans.

 

I was asked to go out tonight by my lovely friend but I’m shattered so gave it a miss and I know later in life I will regret it as it was to see Jone Collins. I have always loved her. From one of her shows she said, “Realise your dreams and do what you want to do because one day you won’t wake up.””

 

I was reading about something I just can’t seem to get a grip of. I never have all of my life. at boarding school, I remember all of my friends seemed to be sleeping, me no, I was too scared seeing the shadows of the finger like branches that used to tap on the fire escape window next to my bed. Every dormitory at two different schools, for whatever reason, I seemed to get put next to the fire escape door. And in both schools, there were huge trees outside of it. Against the inky sky with only the light from the moon, the spooky fingers used to impose upon my mind and leave a fingerprint on my memory preventing me from relaxing. That on top of the fact that I so badly missed my family and dreaded the next day at schools I hated so much, was a perfect recipe for sleepless nights which lead into adulthood and still continues these days.

 

Apparently, we need sleep so that our brain can reorganise itself. That makes sense, may be if I slept, I would know where things were for my guest room? Haha.

 

We also need sleep to strengthen new neural connections that allows us to remember what we have learned. Going without sleep can cause heart problems, immune system dysfunction, psychosis and hallucinations!

Heck!

I need sleeping pills…

 

I was also reading that 90 % of people are right handed? Gosh I never knew it was that high. My Husband can use both hands. Clever clogs. That is probably why he is such a good pianist.  I’m rubbish with my left hand. Thankfully it’s useful for when I’m walking my guide dog Waggatail, as that is the hand we are meant to hold their harness in. leaving our right hand for hand rails, door handles, shopping bags and just in general in case we need to put our hand out, if you are left handed though, you will be given a dog trained to work on your right. Our dogs are amazing. Oh, don’t forget, as are we. Hahaha. Oh, I’m still smiling about yesterdays comments when we were at the dentist.

 

I was also reading some work by Stephen Hawking, PhD, Theoretical Physicist cosmologist Director of research Cambridge England, writing about how the world started. Some brilliant minds ask if in fact, did it even start, or has it always been here? Well, it may have always been here, but we haven’t. so, who made us? I totally believe we are made animals flowers everything. By whom? Well my old Bloggets will know my views on God and the universe especially earth. Just as scientists haven’t figured out how the universe started, they haven’t figured how it will end. Well personally I think we will destroy it ourselves and then it will start again with a different kind of people, hopefully better than us. Kinder and who don’t harm animals. Who live a clean life and only know kindness and generosity and stretching the truth would be as difficult for them, as us learning the most complicated foreign language!

 

Earth will last as long as we have the sun and the sun, I’m sure is a star and all stars die. Humans shooting and harpooning into space travelling to places we are not meant to go won’t help whatever is in the sky stay in the sky.

 

Some still wonder is there intelligent life away from earth? I say of course there is. Some wonder if aliens made the ancient pyramids in Egypt. The tools that were around in those days would make it impossible to create such wonders and look at the shape of them, are they like a rocket? Look at the ancient cave carvings that have been discovered of rocket like shapes with tall human forms wearing helmets. Cave people used to draw what they saw. Their imaginations were limited as obviously in those days there wasn’t the books, internet etc that there is now, no TV programs or word of mouth to pass on any conspiracy theories. Look at the crop circles, Stonehenge and the scorch marks from a craft on top of rocks too high to clime in those days and they have been there long before any kind of craft had been invented.

 

We are not meant to know how we got here, otherwise we would know, right? May be if we go to another world when we die, we learn, but I doubt it, I think our minds get wiped just as they did coming to this planet. And if we get regressed then perhaps, we do have a small memory of a past, I know I went through a really strange situation some years ago. I totally believe that I am from Spain and that was all in another blog, so for old readers, I shall not bore you again, smile, but this subject intrigues me.

  

And finally,

here is another link about what I showed you a few days ago, it’s really good news for all kinds of RP as long as you have some cells working.

https://pharmaphorum.com/news/reneuron-cell-therapy-produces-encouraging-results-in-early-eye-trial/?fbclid=IwAR3LroVkiNCz2xLZ13arVWmraomYMwO_sL7jVXBNETT8ah5miuJUOfIoRw8

 

  

 

SMILE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Where I’m sitting in our sitting room, the sun is so strong it’s making me sleepy. We have been to our dentist; our dogs were amazing. I felt so very proud of my Waggatail. I actually relaxed walking back home, feeling really chilled out. I let her work, didn’t have to give her any commands just let her walk home. Normally I have to tell her to turn left or right steady at the step over or whatever, mind you as we left the challenge of the dentist, I did promise her when we got home, she would be given a treat. My dog will do anything for her stomach.

Well they do say they match the dogs with the owners…

 

So, a simple day to our dentist. Hmm. Dog bags just in case, no, not for us to be sick in with fear from the drill chair, but in case our dogs decide to shame us… but they didn’t. treats to give them when they got us there. Positive reinforcement an all. It works. Harness and leaders, different collars too. Our key phone and card to pay. And on our way.

And I’m not starting a poem Hehehehe

 

It took seventeen minutes for us to walk there. We did debate if we should try to take a short cut, and discussed that we should may be do that one day when we are not up against time. As it happened, we got there in good time, well, early actually. It’s a snaky route ducking and diving, under trees and under staircases. one point the building we have to walk around, is really like a zig zag. There are six different business’s but there not in a tidy line. Some of the shops stick right out then the path goes in. if I were a bird looking down at that building, I would say it looks like stairs on their side.

 

Down a hill passing all the amazing smelling shrubs and the monkeys in the zoo, over a road and passing the post box where we turn into where the building is, Waggs puts her head against the door where I need to be blessed her. Then in the building, we turn up two flights of stairs and through the door we go. Near every door outside and inside, there is a long window, so sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between the door and the window, trying to open or exit a window, isn’t good for my street cred.

   

Left to the reception and then the waiting game. Waiting until we are called by the names next please…

So, who’s next the person in front of us, the person in front of them or the person to our side? Or, us?

 

I have learned that if I don’t do the stupid thing I have done all of my life as a blind person, and try to look sighted, and just look ahead, not moving my eyeballs about, and staring straight a head then people will speak rather than making eye contact then having that uncomfortable moment where they tell me that they thought I could see and aren’t I wonderful because I don’t have horns. Oh, sorry, because I don’t make the blues of my eyes disappear or wobble my eyes. The muscles in my eyes are the only muscles I have left that work, haha, but if I’m out I’m now not stupid enough to pretend I can see by trying to make eye contact, because that really confuses people. They think I can see, it doesn’t matter if I have a guide dog or not.

 

And they speak to us differently, almost raising their voices. Because of course every person who is blind is also deaf didn’t you know that? We also don’t have the ability to talk or know our own minds and as for being able to choose if we have sugar in our tea or if we would like a receipt at the till? Oh, well forget about that. Hahaha.

  

Anyway, what was nice was she offered to show us to our seat. As the waiting room was totally packed. And I have embarrassed myself so many times before by my overly friendly guide dog showing me to a seat.

With someone on.

And me putting my hand out to make sure it was the seat and not a coffee table, and placing my hand somewhere rather warm and I’m sure not welcome. Yep, right on a man’s groin. It was bad enough me doing that, if I only realised what it was and moved fast, but oh no, not Fifi, she had to investigate what exactly she was touching, it takes a while for the penny to drop, honestly….

 

There were loads of people there and the receptionist showed us a seat. I’m sure we got the last two. Gosh it was packed but it’s half term around here so all the annoying little people, sorry, little darling children, were waiting like patient beings for their tiny chops to be examined….

 

Our dogs were so behaved. And Hub and I were so amused by how people talk about us and our dogs as if we really can’t hear. It’s like we are not in the room.

 

“oh, aren’t they so well trained.””

I presume they were talking about our dogs at that point…

“It’s marverlous how they manage. To trust a dog like that. To be able to go outside like they do. Gosh look at them, so cute, beautiful.”” I think they had gone back to talking about the dogs again.

Hahaha.

 

I said to Hub. If we were to see someone who looked absolutely shattered, red and about to be overly friendly with the ground,  and we started to say

“Remind me if I ever look like that to go on the treadmill!”” or if there was a large person came in and we were to say something like our Mary thinks she needs to go on a diet, but looking at that, Mary’s, positively anorexic!

We just wouldn’t comment like that, but they feel the need to do so, now if they were to say those dogs are beautiful, or even clever, it’s just funny how they continue to talk about how difficult it must be to train them, how do they train them, must be the most  hardest job, as they have such a responsibility on their shoulders and then go onto say how wonderful we are. Hahaha. Well, let’s face it, we are pretty dam good. ()()

 

It is just like we are not there though. But as I went into the torture chamber and was exempt from the pain machine, I waited for Hub to see if he needed to suffer. But out we both came, having to sign papers. What we signed for? Goodness knows.

 

As we came down the flights of stairs, on the rail was a hand… thankfully a body was attached to it. And the voice of a child. Well I stood still waiting for her to walk around me and the Wagging one.

And, she stood waiting for me and the wagging one, to walk around her.

 

Then half way down the second flight of stairs, a lady stopped me to ask if she could stroke my guide dog.

As I’m coming down the stairs.

Even though there is a huge yellow reflector sign asking for people not to distract.

 

Well we got home and our painter was still here. It’s getting dark now and I have just realised that we don’t have a light bulb in that room long story… not sure how he’s being able to see, but hey, maybe he’s using his torch on his iPhone haha.

 

I guess I shall go and be a domestic Goddess in the kitchen. Hmm. Well, I’ll go in the kitchen.

Later gators.

 

  

MONDAYS DIARY BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good morning Bloggets. I hope I find you well? Well Hub is working from home today but will take an hour off later as we are off out on a wonderful adventure. Something we are excited about. Something that has been in our Diary for a few weeks. (And then I woke up!)

Yeah. We are off to the dentist. I can tell you, all the above is what I am having to tell myself right now, as I don’t like the dentist, well, tell me someone who does? But I would rather go there, than the Doctors. At least it’s just a check-up.  If I’m asked to go back within the next month, oh, boy, that will be a different blog… At least the weather is going to be nice, so we won’t get blown there or arrive like a couple of soggy mattress’s!!!

 

Great day for me, my painter has arrived. Thank God. This house has been upside down for the past three weeks. I need to get to our office and I can’t because it’s full of what should be in the room that is being decorated. I have so much work to be done. But I’m trying to get most of it done without using that room which has all of my files, printer, all of my stationary and box of photograph frames etc in. it’s challenging. But I guess for most, doable.

 

We had a lovely time with our Son last night, just chatting. Sham came around too. They are both off to work today and I think my son is only working for five days this week thankfully. But, overtime every one of those days. Hub is all over the country this week but we have had a lovely weekend. Most enjoyable. Nothing out of this world, just pleasant. Our lovely dogs worked so well. And they got their play time too, as did we! Yesterday was so stunning. I simply loved it. Our walk was amazing and the atmosphere was even better. The weather was like a late spring day and the special treat of the most delicious ice cream afterwards was perfect. Our company was great and I’m excited to say our friends are coming next weekend too, so now I just have to content myself for the next five days leading up to our weekend again.

 

Reading about what foods are good for us and what aren’t nothing was different to what most people know, but in the article was something that was of interest to our younger readers possibly? Food that is not good for the skin include, bagels, white rice, certain kinds of baked potatoes and spaghetti. Food that is, good for the skin include, kidney beans, grapefruits, apples, cashews and carrots.

 

Talking of food, here are some foods that are supposed to burn off fat. And, Bloggets, some of them are really quite nice. Walnuts, flaxseeds, blueberries, banana’s, fish

 Greek Yogurt and coconut milk. So, if I make a coffee and walnut cake, a banana loaf and some blueberry muffins, do you think I will be OK? Hahah.

 

In health news today the headlines read as follows.

Japan is battling with the worst outbreak of measles in a decade.

In our NHS hospitals in the UK, hundreds of men are applying to be nurses.

Another headline that got me excited was a question. “Could we soon diagnose cancer in ten minutes?”” and then I want to read we can cure cancer in ten days, but so far that headline hasn’t appeared.

 

Did you know that lobsters’ taste with their feet?  Yack.

They have three stomachs too and their teeth are in one of their stomachs. I hope this puts you off eating them.

 

A question. Anna’s father has four daughters, the first is called April, second May, third June, what is the name of the fourth daughter?

 And Tracey had her birthday but three days later, her eldest twin had her birthday, how could this happen?

It’s Monday so they are quite easy. I’m going gentle with you as it’s the start of the week.

First answer?

Anna, as it started with Anna’s father…. So, Anna was the daughter, the fourth one.

Second answer?

Tracey had twin daughters, and the eldest one out of the children was born three days after her Mums birthday.

 

And on that note, I shall leave you to sort out life and make some time to smile and enjoy yourself please. Laters.

 

 

 

ALL HEART BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good evening Bloggets. I’m absolutely shattered. We have had a lovely day. It’s been beautiful here today, I have been out without a coat and I wasn’t once cold. I wore my lovely jumper my sweet friend Pip bought me. It was so sunny. We have been out for a few hours walking.  And I had the best ice cream. I had pistachio with a chocolate flake in the biggest sugar cone. Oh, it was delicious. Hub had a chicken and mushroom pie. Haha. Not quite the same but he loved it. We had hot drinks and a lovely sit on a stone wall deep in the countryside. The air was so  clean something you just don’t get where I live. It was like being back home in Northumberland. I will sleep tonight though, we walked miles and fast. It was so good. I loved it. We went with the sweetest girl who is so adorable, and good fun! Our dogs were really well behaved though I think my Waggatail wished she could have had her very own ice cream as she did show the desire to befriend some children who were a perfect height for the wagging one to wolf some of the white stuff.

 

In our news, NASA is talking about finding new DNA, that could lead to finding new alien life.

Just preserve the life we have on earth guys.

 

Have you heard of HoloLense? It’s from what I can gather an augmented reality lens you wear and from what I have read you can look at your house for example and see it near a beach even though it is nowhere near the seaside. Or, for the army, they can put on the glasses/screen and see where they need to be in the dark but through the lens, it’s as if it was daylight. I was wondering if it would work for someone who has night blindness? So, they can see just not in the dark. Well with these glasses, it makes whatever they are looking at, lighter as if the sun is out for example. It’s almost as if we are heading in a world that is going to be so far from the truth, we won’t know any longer what is fact and what is made up.

 

And back by popular demand, smile, some facts. Did you know that no number before 1000 contains the letter A?

Giraffe tongues can be 20 inches long. That’s 50.8cm! (Let’s hope they don’t French kiss)

Blue wale tongues can weigh as much as an elephant. And their hearts weigh up to a ton.

 

Ancient Egyptians, used dead mice to ease toothache… (I think I would just suffer)

 

Einstein’s eyeballs are in New York. (That was careless of him)

 

The Pope can’t be an organ donor. (I presume they are not talking about organs from Cathedrals?)

Flamingo’s bend their legs at the ankle, not the knees. Fresh apples from your shops may not be so fresh. They are picked August to November waxed and dried then sent to cool storage so by the time you get them, they could be up to a year old.

 

Oh, here’s a one that will get you all testing it out as you read. It’s impossible to hum, whilst nipping your nose…. I didn’t believe it, just like you, but just like you, I tried it and it’s a fact.

 

And finally, octopuses and squids have three hearts. (Ah, bless them, their all heart.)

 

On that note I shall leave you. I hope you have had a lovely weekend.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

A CUPPER AND A CHAT BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good afternoon Bloggets. I’m sitting in my living room with the window opens it’s so warm. February and 12 degrees but it’s so sunny so under the sun, the heat is so much warmer.

 

I have had to say goodbye to my three vases of daffodils that my Son bought me for my birthday but still have my beautiful roses from my brother.

 

My kitchen has amazing aromas coming from it as Hub is preparing us a stew. I got all the ingredients out for him earlier. Onions, garlic, mixed fresh herbs, mushrooms, lentils, carrots, potatoes and celery! Stock cubes and seasoning is all he needs to get. Did you know that 12,000 years ago, peas, lentils and barley grew naturally?  They grew in the middle east. We are making home made bread too later on. Did you wonder why a baker’s dozen comes to 13 rather than 12? Well years ago, bakers could be severely punished if they cheated their customers and way back in medieval England didn’t have accurate scales and dough can rise all different sizes, so the bakers would throw in an extra bread roll to keep customers happy and of course to stop the chances of the poor bakers getting flogged!  

 

My boy is working overtime again all day, but tomorrow is his one day off after working for seven. He has worked overtime every day and today should have been his day off, as weekends he doesn’t have to work, but he has chosen to do so. He’s doing really well at work and has been asked to work with the managers the past week. I’m so very proud of him. I just need him to enjoy life a little more and not work as hard.

 

Our dogs have been on a free run today. They are exhausted now. sleeping on their bed. I say bed, as they sleep together no matter if two beds are available. After they have rested, I shall groom them then clean the floors but first must wait until Hub is finished being a domestic God in our kitchen. Then I can do all the floors. I groom the dogs outside and leave the fur to my Husbands disgust, floating in the garden, for the birds to make their nests. My Husband thinks I should put it in the bin, but why when they can make use of it? I know they do too. I have seen their little birdie signs advertising (A goodnights sleep, come to Fifi’s garden)

 

 Now then sit back and let’s chat about what I have been reading about today. Have you ever wondered why our fingers go all wrinkly when we are in the water, such as swimming? Well since the 1930’s apparently scientists have known the answer and it’s caused with blood vessels below the skin that constrict which seems to have the evolutionary advantage of us being able to pick up wet objects more easily. In 2013, scientists did a study where they found people with wrinkled fingers as in after being in water, found it much easier to pick up wet objects opposed to picking up dry items. People with smooth fingers couldn’t pick up the wet objects so easily or as fast as those with wet fingers.

 

Cats jump into boxes because it makes them feel safe, there’s no surprise there, but I was reading today that big cats such as tigers also like to clime into a box if there is one in their sanctuary big enough.

 

  Pink for girls and blue for boys? Well only 100 years ago it was popular for boys to wear pink and girls to wear blue. It was said that pink made boys look stronger and blues were subtler to make girls look pretty.

 

Did you ever wonder why we say hello when we pick up the phone? Well years ago, our phones were left open all the time and businesses would pick up the phone and so that others would know someone wanted to talk, it was suggested by Thomas Edison, that people said hello!!!

Can you remember party lines, are you old enough? Oh, as a tiny child I loved them I remember sitting at my Mums phone table as everyone had in those days, they were a small table normally in the hall of our houses with a small chair near or even sometimes attached to the table. Why they were so small, I’m not sure, or was that just ours, may be yours was a tall table? I remember sitting sneaking in there when my Mum was busy, as whenever she caught me she would  tell me off before closing the phone, and then feel the Urg to have to go that extra step further and take the phone from me and have to go through the totally unnecessary humiliation of having to explain to whoever was on the other end of the phone, that her naughty little four year old had been listening in to their conversation. Hahahaha. I mean, if she had said nothing, took the phone from me put it on the slot and then told me off, but oh, no, my Mum was so honest and wouldn’t have been able to live with herself in her moralistic world if she had done that. Oh, but I used to love it. One day I heard a huge argument between two of my neighbours and as a four year old, I was more like a  mind of eight years  as I was far too old for my time on earth, so understood everything. Gosh, I’m not totally ancient so when we think back on how we have come along since, but sadly now we are reverting back to the listening days with our home tech such as Alexa and so on. I mean, you say her name to get her to talk to you but she has to be listening all the time to be able to know when you are saying her name? and, last night she started to tell us about some artist and then played their music and we weren’t even talking, spooky.

 

Our credit cards tell where we have spent and how much and our sat navs in our cars tell where we have been or where we are going, right? Our mobile phones can also trace where we are and what we are looking at.

 

So, when we used to talk about big brother in the 70’s and 80’s, well perhaps it was because our powers, were green eyed as they hadn’t learned by that point just how to do this and get away with it, but we just except it now that we are watched by CCTV camera’s and every bit of plastic we share!!!

 

And on that note, haha. My Husband is making me a cup of coffee as his masterpiece in the kitchen has come to an ending. It’s just ready for us to eat now, so I shall take a coffee with him and whilst he listens to his sport on the radio, I shall then do some housework, including our dogs grooming so until later, have a lovely day.

 

  

DIARY OF HOPE BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Good day Bloggets. There is a great link at the bottom of this blog for some exciting news for treatment research for RP. It’s hopeful.

 

 It’s another beautiful day. The sun is so warm. I went to a large shopping centre and it was almost empty. I went to try to find a birthday gift for our Son. Hub was delighted as I brought some of our baker’s vegan sausage rolls back as he’s working from home. Bless him, it was 2 pm and he hadn’t had a minute even to get a cup of tea. Just as he was about to open the bag with the pastries in, his phone rang again, so he had to put his hunger on hold. They are delicious though they are my weekly fix and I don’t like vegan food but these are something else and my Hub loves them prefers them to meat ones.

 

As I passed the shops today the smells were so lovely. Chocolate, coffee, roses/lilies, lemons, perfumes and candles just to name a few. I dream of the days when I can look in a shop window like those who can see do.

 

In our news, scientists are searching on Mars as ancient rivers flow. Searching for aliens. If they find them, what will they do with them?  I sometimes hate humans. And if you were an alien looking down on earth, or up through the sea, what would you think? If you can see, next time your news is on, try watching it with the volume down. Humans must look like crazy people and so angry I imagine. And from every part of the world, every country seems to be full of bad people. What is happening to society? Where is humanity going? And I have said it before, why can’t a chemical be released in the air to make people nice, whereas right now, I think there is a chemical flowing making us more aggressive and less tolerant.

 

Did you hear about the world’s biggest bee? It’s the size of our thumb in length. It’s been missing for 38 years… Stupid me asked, how is it still alive? Haha, em, not the same one, Fifi, just the same gene link. Breed whatever you call it. Anyway, its jaw is meant to be extremely strong. Oh, my, I don’t care how rare it is, I hope it never comes to England. And, imagine its honey? Hahha.

 

It’s the weekend again. What are your plans if any?

 After getting up early today for my painter to come. I learned he won’t be coming now until Monday. Oh, our house has been upside down for three weeks now. but praying it will be all done on Monday. Though I said it would be done by this weekend, in fact, I thought it would be done by last weekend. I’m forever hopeful!

 

Why did Van Gogh become a painter?

He didn’t have an ear for music!

What did the painter say to the wall?

One more crack like that and I’ll plaster ya.

 

Why did the bald man paint rabbits on his head?

Because from a distance they looked like hares.

 

I stole this quote from one of our lovely Bloggets and a dear friend of mine.

“as you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, and one for helping others!””

And now for an exciting link for RP news

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADBu4Uy7ZZ0&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR115gerBuihuiRwKg1PxjVSVj4inXLZ2IfHLRhsVUGsEr_1QP-_US_1Y4Q

   

HARD BOILED CHICK BY FIONA CUMMINGS

 It’s a beautiful day, and I have to go and do the doggy doodle garden. And, I really don’t want to. I can’t face it today. I have also got to clean the house which I don’t mind, but ending up with cooking dinner for the family, and that is something else I just can’t face today. I’m bored with the same chores every day. It’s not so much the cooking it’s the thinking of what to cook and then going to find it all. It takes me anything from half an hour to two hours to prepare, ten minutes to eat and another forty minutes to clean up afterwards. So, can take 2 hours and forty minutes for a ten-minute meal.

 

I love to hear my Son enjoy his meal, he is very appreciative and really does like what I cook. But to give him something different every day is difficult. As for Hub, he is as bad. He eats chicken and fish. How many dishes can you cook with chicken and fish? Sometimes I do wonder, if vegan meals are easier?

 

Hub was working from home earlier and has now left to visit a client. So, all morning and part of the afternoon, I have been walking around trying to be as quiet as possible, not being able to do noisy jobs, that is when I should have done the dog garden. Hmm. I just can’t face it. Not today. But I have to. It’s not fair to ask Hub to do it when he gets in as it will be after six, then a quick dinner for him, what? not sure, then turn around and we are back out tonight.

 

No quiz on tonight, but my friend asked me if we will still go out with them for a drink. I’m glad as it’s nice to get out.

 

Remember what I was saying yesterday about how sad I am as a I get excited about strange things, like my new yard brush arriving? Well, keep telling myself if I go and do the dog garden, then I can use my new brush out there on our patio.

Am I inspired to go out there yet?

Naaaaa.

 

I had a great day yesterday as my friend Artie came to see me. We get on so well and have a lovely time together. She brought me a box of chocolates,

 well,

 their gone…

but I did share some with Hub.

3.

And she gave me a stunning what feels like marble stone polished with friendship words on one side and I think she said had a thistle on the other. I told her I collected stones. Well if you know me, you will know I collect everything. But I have two Chrystal dishes on my windowsill on the landing with all kinds of stones in. different colours, shapes and some have words. So, this was a perfect gift.

 

I have to sadly throw away my beautiful daffodils today. The ones my Son bought me. My roses that my big brother bought me are still lovely. His visit on my birthday was so special, I never expected it. His card was really thoughtful too with lovely words. It was so nice to see him.

 

I’m out tomorrow late afternoon. I don’t know where to start, but I need to think about my Sons birthday. It’s days away and I haven’t got him a gift yet. Goodness knows what to get him.

 

I can not believe my baby will be 22.

Did I tell you it was all illegal and I was only 14 when I had him?

Oh, well, how else do I pretend I’m only 34?

If he keeps getting older, I shall have to have a new little brother.

Oh, but hang on, I shall be getting older too, so that won’t work.

 

He of course knows what he is getting from Shamrock. They are going on Holiday number one for the year. Haha, let’s see how many they can do this year? Good on them, BW works hard enough.

 

In our news, Putin is threatening America with Nuclear weapons. He is a scary man. I really wish he would retire and crawl under a large rock.

 

Oh, this may put you off eggs. This is why I really can’t enjoy them as much as I would like to. A 14-year-old boy bought a box of six eggs from his shop in the UK and an incubator for £40. After a few days, he shone the light on the eggs and noticed that one egg had a heartbeat. A month later, a baby duck was born. Did you know that at birth, the egg industry kills all baby boy chicks?  I never knew that and now I do, I’m so disappointed.

 

The thing is, people are going crazy about the thought we may be eating a baby chick if we eat an egg. But those same people will gladly put a full chicken in the oven and enjoy it. Hmm. Double standards, I think.

 

There is nothing nicer than eggy bread don’t you think? Beat a couple of eggs in a dish, add a little salt and pepper. Cut your white bread into triangles and dip them into the egg. Then put them in your frying pan which must be hot. I normally cook it in butter. But I don’t eat them though I love them. My Son used to love that until he became a vegan but sometimes I do them for Hub.

 

Well I have some banking to do and emails to answer, then, the dog garden.

May be! ! !

 

 

 

 

FINDING YOUR WAY IN THE DARK TAKE TWO BY FIONA CUMMINGS

Thank you all so much for your response to some what I hoped would be helpful tips if you are losing your sight or have gone blind. This subject got a lot of response so I thought I would share some more ideas today.

 

For those who didn’t see the first blog, in brief, Firstly, and this takes some getting used to. When you need to bend over, do it slowly. And if you can remember before you bend, to put your hand out to see what is in front of you and to the side, and judge how much space you have.

Remember to stand up slowly too as sometimes we forget when we bend, as we have just missed that other shelf a little higher so we whack our head on the way up. When we drop something though our natural response is to just bend down quickly to pick up. So, as I said it will take some getting used to, but when we do our lives are a lot happier.

 

Never leave your doors half open. Always fully open or fully closed. Try to avoid fitting light switches that are duel switches. Keep the lights so you know when they are on, or off.

 

Ski, when walking in the house, so you don’t stand on a sharp object or a toy. Don’t lift your feet up as you normally do. rather than stand on it. And for outside, the opposite. Heal first, then you won’t trip up a step as we naturally fall forward, so if we do start to trip, we have our toes to support us.

 

Never leave your dishwasher fully open.

Use a worktop saver in your kitchen when cooking to put all your utensils on so you are not looking for them and keep all food in one place too. So before cooking, get everything in two places.

Fridge, items that have a short shelf date, keep to the front so you have to touch them to get something out. If you have short dates at the back, you will forget they are there.

And a great tip from Agatha, keep baskets in your fridge, different sizes so you learn what basket has whatever in. And cheeses in a Tupperware box. Different sections. Just like what I said about frozen food. Different drawers for different foods. Fish in one draw, meat in another veg in another bread in another and so on. Keep to the same boxes/drawers then you will know which draw you are pulling out

 

Thanks, Donna, for telling us this great tip. If you have ever had a guest come to stay and you want to make their bed nice, you open your cupboard and everything falls out on you, haha or is that just our Blogget Ruth and myself? Suddenly you realise all your duvet covers are mixed up with pillowcases and no longer you can match them up.

Well, no need to worry about matching bedding any longer. Fold your sheet/duvet cover up and place into your pillowcase. Then put in your cupboard. Such a great tip. Now obviously with all of these idea’s you will need a sighted person at the start to make life easier. For example, for dates for your fridge, but with bedding, if you open a new pack then follow the pillowcase tip from then on, you will be able to do that on your own. And in time, you will learn what foods are what. I have told you before my Husband is great at knowing what is in jars. He can tell mayonnaise by tapping the bottom of the jar, it makes a different sound. When he first told me this, I thought he was winding me up. But no, I listened and it does make a very different sound if it’s a glass jar. He also can tell what is in most cans by the weight and sound when shook.

 

Use a chopping board to cut your veg. place your onion for example make a bridge with your hand. So, fingers on one side of your onion, thumb on the other and slip the knife under your palm. Never chop into your hand.

 

When buttering your bread, butter one way, from the bottom of the bread to the top, then from left to right. This way you won’t miss any, or have lumps of butter.

 

Remember you can buy a water boiler rather than a kettle. You place your cup under the tap and you can even walk away, no need to pour boiling water any longer.

Tuck all wires near your walls. Use a small plastic tie to keep them tidy. If you have a huge sitting room for example, don’t have a table in the middle of your floor with a beautiful vase on, it will go at some point… tables wobble, as do we…

Place plug in air fresheners near doors so you learn where the smell is coming from you know that is the direction of your door. For me no need my house isn’t big. But I stayed with friends in America, oh, boy, they had a stunning house the  sitting room, was the size of a ballroom.

Place windchimes near your door so when you are in the garden, you know how to get back to your door. Place a water feature also near your door never put a feature in the middle of anywhere. Always at the side so you don’t fall over it. You can also buy those annoying little stone etc creatures that require batteries like croaking frogs or birds, as you pass them, they croak or tweet. Just to give you signs to know where you are going. If you have a garden seat, it’s nice to have something to tell you where it is.

 

I love this tip from May. When cleaning your house, there is nothing worse than wondering what bottle is what. your cleaning solutions can be your nightmare. Once a week I use my iPhone to detect different cleaning items to do my house, but at least twice a day, I use wipes. Why? Well you know you can get glass wipes, then you can get bathroom ones, chrome ones and even wood polishing ones. So, keep your chrome ones under your kitchen sink. Your bathroom ones in your bathroom. Your dusting ones in a cupboard and glass ones next to them. Normally the glass ones are in a smaller pack, but you can put an elastic band on one pack to tell the difference and you can do this too with shampoo for example. If you have shampoo and conditioner that look the same, a band around your shampoo will always let you know what bottle to grab. You could do this too with cleaning bottles. Put the band on floor cleaner for example. Best tip is trying to buy max three bottles to clean your whole house. Remember when we were children, those of you over forty, our parents didn’t have seven different bottles of cleaning solution, or, if you are like what I was like last year, seventeen different bottles, though when we had a clean out, my Husband will report it was more like forty seven different bottles… I have learned which bottles clean all and I try to stick to 3 of those.

 

 When dusting, do it slowly. Try to remember where you put your ornaments. Gently lift, dust that spot then place ornament down. If you only have say three items on a shelf, then remove them all, remembering to count to know how many you need to put back. Place ornaments on a arm chair. Dust then place back. Cleaning a mirror or any kind of glass, finish off with kitchen paper towelling then you shouldn’t have marks left. And if you do leave your windows with a bit of fog, then tell your guests when they comment, they must have cataracts. Haha.

 

If you want to use a spray to clean with, spray the solution on a cloth that way you will only use what you need and you won’t leave any smear marks on your furniture/windows.

    

I said in my last blog about ironing. Always keep the iron in the same place when you are not using it. For example, when you are putting away an item of clothing. Returning to find your iron, go slightly under your board feel for the wire as the wire will lead you to the back of your iron. I get asked how do you know how to iron? I use my fingers to feel the creases pull tight on the board and iron. Weight a few seconds until it cools then check if it is wrinkle free.

(I haven’t managed to find a way to do that for skin)

That may be in another blog. hehehehee

 

When ironing a shirt for example, feel where the shoulder is and make your crease then iron it in.

You can buy different shaped buttons and buttons that interact with your iPhone which talks to you so you sew them into your clothing. Then you know what colour clothes you are wearing if your work trousers all feel the same.

 

When buying clothes, for example shirts, thanks to Jake for this, try to buy your shirts in different either fabrics or different buttons, o you can learn to differentiate your colours. Same goes for most clothes. I made a mistake one year I bought four jumpers that were in the sale all the same, but they were in different colours. One was black, one cream, a red one and dark blue. So, when wearing a black skirt, I didn’t want to wear my dark blue jumper. When wearing navy trousers, I didn’t want to wear my black jumper. If I had sewn a different shaped button inside, then I would have taught myself which was which.

 

Keep items around your house, in a regular consistent place.

Always leave your keys and white cane harness for your dog etc near the front door.

 

I hope this helps keep your great ideas coming and I shall share with our Bloggets. X