ON NEW YEARS EVE

I would like to take this opportunity to wish the whole world a Happy New Year.

Of course every year brings good for some and ill for others and no one can tell where the good or bad luck will lite,in spite of this I wish health wealth and happiness to all, friends and foe alike.

2004,s opening volley was the death of a close friend whom I had been caring for for months,I had not expected such overwhelming grief which to be truthful remains to this day. 2004 also began a decade of declining health and increased infirmity for myself and for Pa, a return of my kidney problems, and many operations.

We have had to fight for our home at a a time when neither of us were in good health, a battle which even though we won (for the moment) eventually caused me to have a breakdown from which I am still in recovery.

With neither Pa or myself able to work financial matters soon became difficult and the recession only served to make matters worse another battle which we fought and won.

A few years ago at my sons urging ,and with his help I purchased a “net book”,which changed everything for me I began my blog and ever since it has recorded good and bad,happy and sad and has been a truthful account of my day to day life and that of my family and friends.

With my son now happily settled into his writing and with sales rising rapidly,I feel that there is one worry less. Pa's knee replacement is a resounding success and with luck my own operation will take place next year.

As I consider all these things in the dying hours of the worst decade of my life I pray for a lightening of the gloom,not just for us but for everyone.

A warm welcome to 2014, may it bring happiness,peace and love, may we be able to contribute to this harmony and be worthy of the love.

Penultimate 2013...

Avie woke up very tired today, and had a bit of a rest today – whilst still producing a slap-up meal. Really very proud of her; but she's over-worked herself again and retreated to her bed; I was asked to write a brief apology, and hopefully all will return to normal in the morrow!

Retired to bed...

Avie has retired to bed with a hot-water bottle...after a very long and hard day's work! Normal service to be resumed tomorrow...

MORE CHRISTMAS GIFTS AND A CHANGE OF PLAN

None of us slept well last night,the wind howled and the rain lashed the house with such violence that it penetrated the window frames and soaked the curtains. My son and I sat drinking coffee at three in the morning and Pa sat sketching track plans for his new railway.

Just before daylight the wind abated slightly and at last we slept........it was almost noon by the time we were all up,dressed and ready for breakfast.

A knock at the door produced the usual huge pile of bumf and also ,much nicer .a parcel for me containing two lovely tops ,a present from Pa which did not arrive in time for Christmas day. The next surprise was a truly gorgeous fur collar, a gift from my son which he had squirrelled away months ago and completely forgotten about.

I tried on the fur snood which is made of soft fur in a variety of colours I loved it at once and decided to have a ride on the buggy giving me an excuse to wear it,of course. Warm ans snug it was everything I had hoped it would be and kept my ears warm.

After several days of rich food we decided that tonight we should have a pasta meal, crab and prawns in a light cream sauce with lots of lovely basil,it was a good choice and we all enjoyed it very much.

No wandering about getting buffeted in the post Christmas greed feste known as the post Christmas sales although I did pop out for some apple juice for my son. He has been rather fidgety during the past week and has decided to begin his next book tomorrow rather than on New Years Day,considering all things I think he is very wise to do so.

This month is set to be his best yet for sales. With four days to go he is only two sales away from topping his best sales figure,the five star reviews are still coming in at a steady rate and his position in the best sellers list is rising,needless to say he is very happy.

This time last year he had it all to do,now he is a successful writer with with a growing reputation for great fiction and best of all he is earning a good living doing something he loves,as a mother I ask no more for him than his happiness.

My pride in him,knows no bounds, his courage in leaving a steady well paid job to launch himself in to the abyss of Authorship and his steely determination to succeed has impressed more than his immediate family and his hard work has indeed translated in to well deserved triumph.

He has some amazing and exciting new projects in the planning stage for next year, and one thing is certain,life is never dull when he is around.

A BOXING DAY “WHO DONE IT?”

                               

A lovely lazy breakfast of freshly griddled potato cakes followed a long lazy lie in,even the cats seemed sleepy this morning and the atmosphere was relaxed and happy.

With the even happier prospect for me of a no cook dinner consisting of cold turkey, cold gammon,pate ,pork pie and salad, we decided to play some games during the afternoon. Cluedo and Boggle were chosen and with cups of hot coffee and a couple of boxes of chocolates to hand we began our afternoon of fun.

Cluedo is a game which can be very funny,all that flap lifting makes keeping a straight face difficult at times. We progressed around the board collecting clues and murder cards and it was not long before I knew the weapon with which the murder had been committed. I was doing really well and soon had another full set of flaps on the beige card and it was at this time that I realised that something was amiss.

Earlier I had ascertained that the murder weapon was a dagger, now it seemed I had another murder weapon....a spanner!!!!! Feeling foolish I assumed that I had written down a clue in the wrong box and the boys had a good laugh as I wasted time double checking my information.

By this time I knew where the murder was committed and I knew the murder weapon/s. The boys thought they had the answers and decided to have a go at deduction,while I cursed my luck but took a guess any way.

The first set of flaps were opened and confirmed my own findings that the murder weapon was a dagger,I had also accurately guessed the location of the dirty deed. Then came the identity of the murderer and as the flaps were lifted and the hidden card released it showed,not the murderer but another murder weapon.

Now it was my turn to crow as my red faced son admitted his mistake when placing the cards into their cases. We were destined never to know Who done it!

You may imagine the amusement this error caused and my son knows the he will never be allowed to forget his mistake,so put about was he that \I almost beat him at “Boggle” a think not known before.

We ate dinner in a ,merry mood and there was much banter about the afternoons amusements. More games are planned for the next few days. Carcasonne,Puerto Rico ,Guillotine ,Settlers of Catane ,not to mention card games,just the way we like to spend our holiday.

Tomorrow I intend to have an even lazier day than today,I shall rest while I can,all too soon I shall be back to working at full stretch again, so for now I intend to be a very lazy Avie. Very lazy indeed!

LOTS OF LOVE TO ALL

                                     

           MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Today was for me, everything I could have wished, a quiet happy day with my family,and our collection of cats. Gifts exchanged and dinner eaten and cleared away I find myself very tired but oh so very happy.

All I wish now is that all of you had a happy day too. Watching the news it is very evident that there are many for who Christmas Day has been far from pleasant and my heart goes out to them and their families. Yet even in these times the floods have brought people together in the true spirit of Christmas, giving of themselves and of their time rather than in the form of a gift or card.

Any one who reads my blog regularly will know that I am not a Christian ,but at this time of year it is right that we consider others less fortunate than ourselves,those in difficulties such as the people whose homes have been flooded or who were unable to get home for Christmas, victims of was ,the homeless.......................so many who need help.

There are many stories of ruined Christmases and there are many more stories of acts of kindness, generosity of spirit and courage to balance these events. All over the country the spirit of the season has shone through and helping hands extended to those in need. This kind of giving is truly a two way thing as both the giver and the one who has received feel better for the human warmth which such acts engender.

In the past we have cooked a Christmas dinner for a large family whose oven blew up on Christmas morning. We have given shelter to the victims of a road accident in snowy weather one Christmas Eve ,we have even given shelter to a young woman in labour who arrived half way through the Christmas pudding, and who later gave birth to a lovely little boy,thankfully in hospital rather than a snowy country lane. All these things disturbed the normal family Christmas, yet they remain in our hearts for ever as warm ,and happy memories as all kindness will.

This year our Christmas was peaceful and without any such excitement,and speaking for myself having Pa home from hospital just in time and all the difficulties of the past weeks has left me ready for some quiet time.

So to everyone ,everywhere a Happy Christmas, where ever or however you may find it.

STORYBOOK CHRISTMAS EVE

How the storm did rage about all through last night,great trees and chimney pots were destroyed in the onslaught. The noise of the wind in my own ancient and very tall chimneys was alarming to say the least and I barely slept at all, on the odd occasion when I dozed off the tearing sound of a falling tree or the more alarming sound of dislodged roof tiles, and the whistling of the wind through the old windows jerked me awake at once.

By morning the wind had dropped somewhat but soon rain set in once more and it was discovered that a journey to the shops was necessary - not a very promising start. Soon however things began to take a turn for the better as the Christmas meats arrived, and were in fact actually early. Our usual driver had struggled in to work only to discover that there was no one there and the power was out, all he could do was go home. Then he remembered seeing our name on the manifest, he took a torch and searched until he found our meat boxes which he delivered as usual.

We had half expected that the meats would not come after the violence of the storm - that our friendly delivery man should go to so much trouble on our behalf had me close to tears. He refused any kind of tip or gift,and stoutly headed back to his van,his journey was impeded by many hugs and much handshaking........what a hero!

Following a fast breakfast I set off to do my shopping and met so many friends that it took me ages to get home. The turkey was smelling delicious, the whole gammon soaking in a massive pen of cold water and we were preparing the table between us when there was a knock at the door,which proved to be a neighbour who's cat practically lives here, bringing with her flowers, chocolate and a lovely card.

Next another friend turned up with a bottle of fine old port for Pa! Everyone was being so kind it was a real boast to my flagging morale. Our dinner was lovely and we all agreed that it had been a wonderful day, a day when good deeds came home to us and the kindness even of strangers echoed the true meaning of the time of Christmas.

MORE CAKES AND A STORM

On of the most nerve racking enterprises in which I engage is the making of the Chocolates Yule Log,my son's absolute favourite Christmas pudding. There are so many things which can go amiss with what seems on the face of it, a simple enough recipe. Incidentally you can find my recipe among last years “Avies Home-made Christmas” blogs.

I am happy to report that in spite of a few alarms ,like the kitchen door blowing open violently in the storm,the cat Harry deciding he liked chocolate butter cream and a suicidal spider the log came out perfectly,pheeeeeeeew! Now I can breathe again.

The cat's Christmas gifts arrived ,one a sort of race track with a ball to chase another a tunnel with holes here and there to pop our of and some every expensive tuna loin treats Throughout the day the storm raged about the cottage and worsened as the afternoon wore on. By four in the afternoon t was rapid;y turning into a beastly night and I watched the trees in the lane twist and writhe about as I drank a mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.

By dinner time the storm was even worse and the sound of it's passage through the trees could be heard above the television. From time to time some flying object struck a window or the door,this made the cats nervous and to be perfectly honest it gave me the jim-jams too.

Of some concern is the Christmas meat delivery due tomorrow morning from out butcher in Grimsby. With the storm hitting the East Coast tonight I fear that the delivery could well be late,or may even not arrive at all. In the event of such a disaster we have a huge chunk of beef in one of the freezers,a very large chicken and a piece of very good pork....we shall not go hungry.

It is dark now and the trees can no longer be seen lashing about in the wind,occasionally a rending,tearing sound tells us that another ancient tree has succumbed to the strength of the wind.

The noise is deafening and the curtains are billowing from the draughts such a wind creates ,it's time to snuggle up in a warm bed and even if the noise prevents sleep there is nothing quite like feeling cosy in the middle of such a storm as this.

We seem to be having a lot of this kind of storm these days,wild wind and torrential rain,living as we do on the river there is always the thought of flooding at the back of ones mind.

I once heard of a family who escaped through the roof of their house when a flood threatened their lives,I have gone one step further than that....I have a couple of dingos in the attic complete with oars and all the trimmings. I jolly well hope that we never need to use them!

ANOTHER CAKE AND ANOTHER STORM

On of the most nerve racking enterprises in which I engage is the making of the Chocolates Yule Log,my son's absolute favourite Christmas pudding. There are so many things which can go amiss with what seems on the face of it, a simple enough recipe.

Incidentally you can find my recipe among last years “Avies Home-made Christmas” blogs.

I am happy to report that in spite of a few alarms ,like the kitchen door blowing open violently in the storm,the cat Harry deciding he liked chocolate butter cream and a suicidal spider the log came out perfectly,pheeeeeeeew! Now I can breath again.

The cat's Christmas gifts arrived ,one a sort of race track with a ball to chase another a tunnel with holes here and there to pop our of and some every expensive tuna loin treats Throughout the day the storm raged about the cottage and worsened as the afternoon wore on. By four in the afternoon t was rapid;y turning into a beastly night and I watched the trees in the lane twist and writhe about as I drank a mug of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows.

By dinner time the storm was even worse and the sound of it's passage through the trees could be heard above the television. From time to time some flying object struck a window or the door,this made the cats nervous and to be perfectly honest it gave me the jim-jams too.

Of some concern is the Christmas meat delivery due tomorrow morning from out butcher in Grimsby. With the storm hitting the East Coast tonight I fear that the delivery could well be late,or may even not arrive at all. In the event of such a disaster we have a huge chunk of beef in one of the freezers,a very large chicken and a piece of very good pork....we shall not go hungry.

It is dark now and the trees can no longer be seen lashing about in the wind,occasionally a rending,tearing sound tells us that another ancient tree has succumbed to the strength of the wind.

The noise is deafening and the curtains are billowing from the draughts such a wind creates ,it's time to snuggle up in a warm bed and even if the noise prevents sleep there is nothing quite like feeling cosy in the middle of such a storm as this.

We seem to be having a lot of this kind of storm these days,wild wind and torrential rain,living as we do on the river there is always the thought of flooding at the back of ones mind.

I once heard of a family who escaped through the roof of their house when a flood threatened their lives,I have gone one step further than that....I have a couple of dingos in the attic complete with oars and all the trimmings. I jolly well hope that we never need to use the

Avie Has Been Very Busy Today...

Today was really a day of preparation, doing all the last minute bits and pieces to make sure that Christmas ran as smoothly as possible. Avie baked a small mountain of bread and completed work on the Christmas Cake, as well as preparing a slap-up meal...and has worked herself too hard to write a blog tonight, I fear. More tomorrow, and photos as well!

CAKES AND CAROLS,CANDLELIGHT AND CATS.

Today my son and I attempted to tie up all the loose ends before settling down to enjoy ourselves. There have been a few un-posted cards and although I feel bad about it I hope old friends will forgive this minor transgression under the circumstances

I still have the dreaded chocolate log to make and the Christmas cake to ice but these are trifles and will not take long. Apart from this the major tasks are done to my equal amazement and relief!

This being the shortest day it is our night for lighting lots of candles to chase the bad spirits from the dark corners and to encourage the return of the sun. It is also a feast day and so another roast dinner had to be prepared, and shared.

Earlier in the day I went out in the squally rain to buy some special treats for our cats whose tastes are rather expensive,so what,they are cats after all. The strong wind blew my hood off as fast as I managed to pull it back over my dishevelled hair,by and by I gave up and drove down the hight street like a Valkyrie with my hair blowing like a mane behind,much to the amusement of a group of passing children.

In the shops and on the streets people were yelling Merry Christmas to each other in spite of the rain and wind,or perhaps because of it. Hats,umbrellas and newspapers which had escaped from their owners added to the chaotic feel of outdoors and yet it was fun. Even so I was glad to turn towards home as the little light there was began to fade.

No spectacular sunset tonight, no gilded clouds, and yet the grey hazy winter light made the trees in the shelter belt look fuzzy and soft,almost welcoming and warm and I thought of all the small inhabitants of the wood scurrying about , and like me ,heading for their nest holes after the last foray of the day.

The wood has many large squirrel drays high up in the trees and I am always amazed that they seem to survive even the most severe gales.

Out cats have spent the entire day indoors,curled up on a bed, a sofa or a radiator,theses days they have little inclination to venture outside,all except Harry who is a hardy soul and very macho!

Our candles will burn until first light tomorrow, a pledge ,if you like or and act of faith if you prefer.

I love all the light and colour,the panoply and pageant of Christmas ,but I am Pagan to the very centre of my bones as were my ancestors and so tonight ,we feast,we drink and we hope for good fortune in the coming year.

Tomorrow the nights begin to draw out again,imperceptibly at first,but soon the evenings will open out again. For now it is time for winter pleasures ,festivals and arcane ritual, do light a candle if you would like to, pagan or not and you will be a small part in an ancient festival after all what's the harm in bringing a little light to the world.

BELATED BIRTHDAY DINNER

Pa's sixty-fourth birthday was spent in hospital, unfortunate and my son and I were rather sad about it,but Pa did celebrate his birthday in style as the nurses gave him a real birthday cake and sang happy birthday as they woke him on his special day'

Today was Pa's birthday meal proper,roast beef with trenchers,roast honeyed carrots and parsnips and a massive Pavlova smothered in cream and covered in raspberries and blueberries with shards of white chocolate as a frosting.

This way of eating beef or most other meats is a great favourite with us and is always loved by our guests . The massive piece of beef with it'd accompanying basket of trenchers looks spectacular and there is something very decadent about eating hot meat in this way.

My family have always eaten meat in this fashion on high days and holidays for instance if you went to the house of any of my aunts on Christmas Eve you would be offered a sandwich of hot roast pork and stuffing with a slice of crackling on the side no wonder they had lots of visitors .

O f course we also ate in the usual way with sauces ,potatoes, gravy ,stuffing ,etc. but the memory of those hot meaty sandwiches remains and tempts me often to relive those lovely times.

Pa has loved this type of meal ever since he ate in on his first Christmas at my parents house although my mother-in -law was scandalised at the “Wicked waste.”

It was lovely to wake this morning knowing Pa was safe at home,the cats are happy again and we managed our first Christmas game together this afternoon before the visitors began to arrive,all agog to see Pa standing straight again . He has a number of serious operations looming on the horizon but we are hopeful that in the end all will be well.

I will leave you with a part of the song we sang to welcome Pa home yesterday.

Hail the conquering hero comes

Drink a toast to no more bruises on his bum!

No more falling over

No more walking stick...................I can't remember the rest.

PA'S HOME

HE'S OUT..............HE'S HOME..............WHOOOPI......................HALLELUYAH......................

P.T.L................HIP HIP HOORAH.........................FAITH AND BEJASUS...................BY JOVE.

GADZOOKS AND BUGGER ME!.................... YEEEEHAAAA!.........JOLLY GOOD SHOW..

PA'S HOME AT LAST.

THW BAD NEWS AND THE GOOD NEWS.

The bad news is that Pa is still in hospital and is likely to remain there for the foreseeable future. You may imagine the effect this turn of events has had upon the three of us,Pa is very distressed,my son is equally miserable and I feel sick at the thought of Christmas with Pa in Hospital miles away .

For the past week we have been told”.He can go home tomorrow.” only to have our hopes dashed the next day, Yesterday morning Pa was told that he could go home ,less than an hour later they changed their minds and it was back to “Maybe tomorrow.” There are only six more tomorrows until Christmas Day!

It is the not knowing which causes the trouble and the doctors....he has several..... contradict each other,although the care they take of their patients cannot be faulted in any other respect.

So we all continue to wait and hope.

The wonderful news is that Pa can walk again,my son has filmed him in the act and we would like to share this miracle with you all...................

To have Pa home again is now all we wish for this Christmas,so if any of those Christmas spirits are stooging about with nothing to do perhaps they would care to sprinkle a little magic Christmas sparkle in Pa's direction, just one more little miracle..................please.

THE GREAT ESCAPE

Pa is still in hospital and is getting very restive, as are we all considering that in exactly one week it will be Christmas Eve. This morning Pa rang us with the glad tidings that his scan showed no sign of a blood clot in the leg and that he could come home at once. Less than an hour later he called again to say the they were concerned about his sodium levels and the he would have to stay in hospital.....until they stabilized......!!!!!

Now the plain fact is that Pa's sodium levels have e been fluctuating for years and he frequently see,s an Endocrinologist about this very matter. Further more he has regular blood tests to ensure that it does not drop too low. The upshot of this is that if his sodium levels have not stabilised in the past two years it is unlikely that they will do so before Christmas.

Many phone calls later his endocrinologist spoke to the registrar whose edict had kept Pa from coming home and although he agreed that the condition was a long standing one caused by medication ,he would not interfere with the registrar's orders.

Pa was dreadfully disappointed and I could here the tears in his voice, my son,when I broke the news to him was equally upset and as for me,I could not bear the thought of Pa so miserable and I am afraid there were more tears. This despair soon changed to a general feeling of militancy and we began to hatch an escape plan. With luck Pa will be back in the bosom of his family tomorrow ensconced in his massive leather chair with his long suffering cat in his lap.

Keep your fingers,toes and anything else you have handy crossed for our effort, tomorrow I shall let you know if we were successful.

MORE DAYS IN HOSPITAL FOR PA.

We were told today not to expect Pa home until Wednesday at the earliest and of course this threw us in to a sad mood which lasted all evening. No longer sure even of his being home for Christmas we are having to change our plans for the next few weeks,because of course he might be allowed home any day so we have to be ready.

I had not made many plans for myself but my son, poor boy is having to cancel his Christmas arrangements piecemeal as the days go by. Fortunately we enjoy each others company other the whole thing would be unbearable,still it would be nice if he could go out as he had planned.

Games have had to be cancelled in fairness tom other players, an annual convention ,eagerly anticipated for weeks had to go by the board,it is sad. In order to retain a little of the festive spirit we are having little treats here and there and Pa is included in this. Tomorrow my son will visit him and take with him some salted caramels and some special cookies,both things of which he is very fond. All we really want is dear old Pa back in his same old chair in time for a family Christmas.

Tonight ,the cottage is warm and filled with a rosie glow from the fireplaces and coloured lamps,the cats are peacefully asleep on the radiators and our snug beds await our tired bodies.

Downstairs the Christmas tree sparkles and twinkles, much to Twiggy's delight and the homely aroma of chicken stew is still wreathing the kitchen and driving poor Harry to distraction.

Far away Pa is being given his hot chocolate by a real nurse and has settled down for an hour with his latest railway magazine. Looking out into the lane a few minutes ago I observed that once again it was raining and the light from the street lamps silvers the branches of the now leafless trees.

I hope you to in snug and warm,and I wish you all a good night and a great week ahead.

A REQUEST

There are so many charities competing for the ever-diminishing money in our pockets these days, and it is hard to decide which to chose since every one of them is worthy, and each one equally heart-rending. I am afraid that once again I must add my voice to the throng and ask you, please, to send whatever you can to “Crisis at Christmas”.

 For the homeless Christmas is a dreadful time, shops where they could normally purchase a hot drink or some food can be closed for days at this time of the year. Trains do not run and many of the places where the rough sleepers can feel safer are also closed for the holiday. Young and old alike find themselves homeless. It would be fair to say that most of us are only a couple of pay-cheques away from losing our comfortable lives. There but for the grace of God, and all that.

Crisis at Christmas does not only offer a warm bed for a night and a hot meal, this wonderful organisation, manned by Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, Social Workers and dozens of ordinary people all of who give their time free of charge. From these kind angels the homeless receive much needed medical attention, hot baths, warm clean clothes and hot meals and a warm bed for a whole week. They can receive counselling and there is free advice on hand to help them find permanent accommodation and work. For the young homeless this is a vital lifeline, even a lifesaver! For the elderly it is a gift of warmth and kindness in a world that does not seem to care. It is at the very least a chance to have a few days of feeling safe.

I know that money is scarce, being disabled myself and also the carer of my disabled husband money is not plentiful and with heating costs as they are winter can be hard for us. Yet even if we have to turn down the thermostat a little and put on a sweater at least we ave a roof over our heads, food to eat and companionship at this festive time. You need not pay for a whole place if you cannot afford it, even the smallest amount contributes a little comfort to someone for whom even warmth is a luxury. What is one box of chocolates more or less - you won't miss them - and the good that will be done with your chocolate money could last a homeless person a lifetime. If you are able to give please send whatever you can to http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/christmas.html.

Thank you.

A MOST PECULIAR HABIT !

It must by now be well known that as a family we are most definitely “Cat People”. During my life time I have been lucky enough to have shared my home with many beautiful ,adorable,wonderful cats all of whom left footprints on my heart when they left us for cat heaven.

Out latest little cutie Moth has now been with us for just over a year and has come through pregnancy,an emergency caesarean section,the grief of losing the only one of her kittens to be born alive and finally being spayed.

She is now a true family cat,loved and loving,her true love being my son whom she worships as a hero,which of course he is! She is much larger now, the tiny thin pathetic little figure of last winter has been replaced by a cosy comfortable well fed and prosperous little lady.

She has no interest at all in the outside world,and seldom ventures outside, these days she disports herself upon fur throws velvet cushions and soft shaggy rugs. She has many toy and plays with them all,her favourite toy however is an old fur mitten which she takes with her every where she goes. She carries it from room to room,sleeps with it , washes it. nurses it and knocks blue blazes out of it by turn,she is a funny little soul.

There is however one very peculiar habit which causes much mirth and some times considerable trouble ,it has to do with her litter tray. Since the day she first came inside she has disliked using the tray, yet never once has she made a mess . Her apparent fear of using the”Loo loo box” as we call it has evolved in to a strange ritual in which I am mostly involved.

Early in the morning she begins to race around the bedroom and the landing,jumping up on the bed,throwing her toys down the stairs and this can go on for half an hour or more. I have learned by experience that there is no point giving in to her to soon as she needs to be really desperate before she will use her tray.

Finally she will give a loud" Meoooooow" and I hurry to the bath room and sit on the loo! Once ensconce I must scrap the bathroom floor with my foot for anything up to five minutes. She sniffs the box,runs away,comes back and sniffs again then finally with a sigh of relief all round she uses the loo loo box.

This has been going on for months and I see no end in sight to this strange behaviour nor can I imagine the cause of such an odd habit. Her box is cleaned daily and sited in our own bathroom so she is private from other cats.

Years ago as a young woman it was quite common for us girls when out dancing or at a club to go to the bathroom in a group,a gaggle of giggling girls was a match for all the bum pinching men and boys. Never,did I imagine that a cat would have the same notion. Having to take the cat to the lavatory is odd, you must admit.

Recently I have caught her actually attempting to use the lavatory, a most comical performance though fraught with danger. The advent of a self closing lid for the loo has put an end to this dangerous behaviour,and after all there are already three people in a house with only two loo's,so Madam will just have to stick to her Loo Loo box!

P.S. The hospital is keeping Pa over the weekend as the wound is still not healing as it should. We are assured that otherwise all is well and we hope to have him back in the bosom of the family early next week.

Another Long Day...

It's been a long day. Lots of travelling for me, lots of work for Avie; she's worn herself out and turned in, and I will be going to bed myself shortly. Dad is fine and improving, we're all hoping he will be home tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

OLD SOFTY

Now if the truth be told I have a very sentimental side to my character, of which I am less than proud and which over the years I have been at pains to suppress.

It was I who cried as if her heart would break every time the teacher read “Bambi!" OK so I was only five years old at the time but he other kids gave me hell over it!

“Lassie come Home” shown at school as a Christmas treat had a similar effect....and still does!

“Its a Wonderful Life”wonderful film really gets the waterworks going especially the ending.

I was the mother who cried her eyes out when the infants class sang “Away In a Manger”,

I it was who sobbed for a hour after the final episode of “Morse”

You will by now begin to see my problem........it really can be a scourge.

Today I came totally unglued in,of all places T esco while shopping for some Christmas bits.

Shortly before entering the store I had been talking to Pa on my mobile,the poor boy is still in hospital and the doctors are concerned that the wound left by his operation is not healing as it should. We had all pinned our hopes on having him home today or tomorrow at the latest, now it looks as if we shall be lucky if we get him home by Monday next.

At the end of our conversation Pa said,in a small sad voice”I just want to come home.” and I was still reeling from this sad plea as I entered the shop.

Before continuing I must in my defence tell you that knowing my weakness In have deliberately kept the radio turned off and eschewed any programme on T.V which might contain carols....all to no avail.

I trundled in to the supermarket to the opening strains of Bing Crosby singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and in that moment I was lost. It was hopeless to blink back the tears which were already misting up my glasses, the lights were bright,the shop was crowded and there was nowhere to hide. It was awful.

By the time the song ended I was a complete wreck and had used up all the paper tissues from my handbag. I was aware that people were looking oddly at me but thankfully no one asked me any questions. One dear little child of about five stared at me for a long time and then suddenly gave me a hug and said”Don't be sad, it's Christmas.” bless her little heart.

I arrived home tired and still very sad, my son, my tower of strength welcomed me in, took the heavy bags to the kitchen and helped me to unpack. Almost as if he knew what have happened he said. “Mum, were going to start Christmas tonight, we need a treat.” And so we did. Once again I am astonished at his insight and innate wisdom. He would never call his old mum soppy,never,bless his darling heart.  

PA'S BIRTHDAY

Today was pa's sixty fourth birthday and he was obliged to spend it in hospital,one of the nurses woke him this morning with “Happy Birthday to You” shortly before breakfast,which was nice.

Of course my son went to visit today and took with him a bag full of cards and gifts including some of my treacle oaties , his favourite biscuit.

The news is good and he has now progressed to the stairs tests and we hope very much that he may be allowed home tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.

We shall all be glad so have him home,not least my son who is making a round trip of over four hours duration whenever he visits Pa and is getting rather weary ,and I too am tired and the worse for another fall,I am such a klutz!

For now its early nights all round including ,we hope ,the cats whose nocturnal doings have been the source of much disturbance of late. Night night all.

PA'S OPERATION LATEST

                                                  OFFICIAL BULLETIN

Day three and all seems to be going well, Pa is now able to walk on sticks which is an important step...if you will pardon the pun...to being allowed to come home. The physiotherapists are giving the old boy no peace and he even has to exercise while in bed.

It has always amazed me how compliant Pa is with nurses,doctors and such like,should I try to get him to do half the things they are getting out of him I should certainly be called a: a torturer b: a sadist or c: a sadistic torturing camp commandant!

These ladies are treated to a “butter wouldn't melt” smile. People are always telling me what a sweet man he is. After over forty years of marriage I know exactly what sort of a man he is ….........

Actually he has been very brave and we are very proud of the old chap ,he can be an old bugger at times but he is our old bugger and we love him.

My son did not visit hospital today as we were both in need of a break as well as the fact that we want the house to be perfect when Pa returns. Yesterday, while attempting to further this aim I took a bad fall and being alone in the house made it difficult as I could not get back on to my feet.

On hour later ,by which time I was frozen stiff I managed to pull myself back indoors and eventually ,using the monks bench as a stabilizer I got to my feet at last. By the time ,my son returned the bruises very beginning to show and I had become very stiff and sore. Last night was rotten.

Today the good news from Pa has done much to lighten the gloom and we have hopes of him being allowed home before the weekend.

To morrow is Pa's birthday and my son will visit him taking in cards and gifts,chocolate and a box of his favourite home made cookie baked this morning in honour of the day.

The house looks lovely with winter curtains at the windows and feels warmer too.

We have a feast planned for the birthday boy once he is home,I am not sure my oven is big enough for roasting the thing,perhaps we should make a spit in case.

THE OPERATION,THE EVENING AND THE NEXT DAY.

Pa's ambulance arrived right on time this morning and whisked both him and my son of to an eventful day. Watching them drive away made me feel suddenly very much alone,and with a mind full of doubts and fears,I closed the front door and went into the kitchen to bake some bread.

It is odd how ones mind wanders in and out of a thousand memories at time like this and before I knew it the bread was in the oven,the kitchen was cleared and there I stood,facing the day and whatever it would bring with only the cats for company.

Normally I am very self sufficient and I rather like,in fact I actually need time by myself,today with,so much at stake I felt that company would have been a welcome relief.

Providence was kind to me and a knock at the door proved to be a young friend of ours who had been working in the area and had called in for a chat. Cookie tin broached and the kettle on the boil we sat down for an exchange of news,listening to him chat about the doings of my young family and his pretty wife helped enormously.

He listened calmly to my fears for Pa and offered wise council for which I was thankful and by the time he left a couple of hours later I was feeling much more like myself again.

All the same waiting is so hard and I kept checking my phone. Finally at three thirty my son called to tell me that Pa had JUST gone in to theatre and that it would be three hours at least before my son could expect to see him again. Hoping as I had been that my suspense would be over I was speechless and after telling my son to get something to eat went of for a mope around the darkening orchard before heading indoors to find some viands for myself.

How the time did drag along and somehow knowing that Pa was my being operated on made things worse and I really had a bad case of the jim jams well before I could expect any further news

.

Of course everyone who knew that today was the day of the op had to be called for knowing that he had been taken in early they had assumed that the operation would be over by mid afternoon, that little chore took an hour and one friend actually came to the house to ask if Pa was OK........and ask for my recipe for Lemon drizzle cake,cheeky madam!

Much much later.

Pa's operation took much longer that had been expected because of the severity of his bone damage ,however the consultant assures us that all went well and that Pa should have much less pain in future.

He finally got out of theatre at around seven last evening and by the time my poor son had seen him safely tucked up for the night he left the hospital so late that it was after ten before he made it back home. I do not think I have ever seen him so worn out and I cannot praise him enough for all he has done.

Saturday &Th December.

Pa called this morning to say he felt fine,had done some physio and had a good breakfast(yes the food is actually edible ) Of course we knew all this as we had called earlier to ask how he was.

He has now been moved to Derby Ward which means that he is out of danger.

My son has just left to visit him ,it is a two and a half hour journey each way but we all agree that the peace of mind we feel to have Pa in a hospital with not MRSA,C Dif, or any other of the nasty bugs to which our local hospital plays host, makes it well worth the trip.

Many thanks on Pa's behalf for all the enquiries .good wishes and cards and my own own thanks for all the moral support I have received from friends.

I may not blog again today unless there is anything startling to report so I will wish you all a wonderful ,happy weekend and blessings lit upon you all.

FINAL PREPARATIONS

Although at time it seemed that it would never arrive the final day before Pa,s operation is here,and indeed has almost gone. It has of course been fraught as anything to do with organising Pa usually is, I shall go into no details,suffice it to say that between endless calls from well wishers and finding vital objects now missing although safely packed days ago the day has not been exactly relaxing.

The hospital transport will collect the old boy in the morning and he is to have a shower before he goes. Getting Pa out of bed before ten for anything short of a house fire has not been done in recorded history so the Lord help us tomorrow.

For now we must all try to relax,try to get some sleep so as to be ready for the day to come,oh how I wish it was this time tomorrow,but before then there is a hell to live through.

I think that I must be tired so shall go now for hot shower. Please,if you can,spare a thought for Pa tomorrow and if you pray,please remember him in your prayers. The odds are stacked against him so he needs all the help he can get. Bless you,love Avie.

A WARMING WINTER PIE

This pie is a family favourite,comfort food at it,s best,low calorie it ain’t but it will certainly warm you up after a cold journey home. Serves 4 large portions.

1 Ham hock......cost about £2.00

2 large leeks

5 medium sized potatoes

600 ml double cream

1 blade of mace

1 bay leaf

1 small onion

1 pkt puff pastry

2 oz butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

fresh ground black pepper

Soak the hock in cold water over night. Next morning rinse and place in a large saucepan with the mace,bay leaf and onion. Add enough water to cover the hock then bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is falling off the bone.

Remove the hock from the pan setting aside the water in which it cooked to cool,this will make the base for at least a couple of soups and will freeze until needed. Skin the hock and discard the skin and fat,set the meat aside.

Peel the potatoes and boil until almost cooked. In a frying pan cook the sliced leeks in the butter and oil. The leeks should not be browned.

Heat the oven to 200oC. Add the cream to the leeks and butter and heat gently. Grease a large oblong pie dish and add the meat and cooked potato. Pour the creamed leeks over the potatoes the add the pastry lid. You may find a pie funnel handy for this pie. Glaze with beaten egg then cook in the over for thirty minutes or until the pastry has puffed up and the pie is hot right through,

Serve alone or with mushy peas or perhaps a salad.

FUN AND GAMES IN THE KITCHEN

Yesterday my lovely new oven arrived and was fitted by the time I returned form the Doctors surgery, in the end I got an appointment by picketing the front desk until my G P came out .

He saw me at once and was not best pleased by what had happened, the cause of my allergic reaction is still a mystery but it seem more than likely that one of the new drugs is the bad guy!

Back to the cooker, it looks perfect ,much nicer than the last on and it does seem to work very well for I made a batch of mince pies,jam tarts and cheese straws in order to put it through its paces. With Christmas so close at hand a new cooker can take a little time to get used to as they all have their foibles, and it,s better to find them out now rather than under combat conditions at Christmas dinner time!

Yesterday evening I was so tired that I fell asleep during tea, the boys insisted on an early night for me for which I was very thankful indeed.

Having slept better than I have in days I hopped to be full of energy today.....not so! Nor was I the only sleepy head in the house,my son had a tremendous struggle just trying to wake up and Pa was almost late for a hospital appointment ,although that happens so often that it usually goes without remark!

Not feeling like our planned walk to Richmond we decoded to play games instead,I made a big bowl of vegetable crisps using beetroot,carrot,and parsnip, we also opened a box of chocolates and for the next few hours we drank rum and coffee while playing cards first and then Ludo. Today Pa won.

I believe this sleepiness is due to lack of light and even the cats seem to be affected by it as the three of them spent today lounging about the house stirring only for an occasional bite to eat.

It has been a lovely day,we always enjoy our games and look forward to the quiet times when such pursuits are possible.

I have some nice Plaice fillets for dinner,these with some chips, garden peas and a lemon sauce will suite us very well.

Afterwards I shall join the cats and laze around until it is time to sleep .and that I feel will be sooner rather than later.

A Big Day...

Today was a very busy day for Avie - a trip to the doctor and the installation of a new oven to replace the one that exploded! As a result, she has asked me to post for her again; hopefully she'll be able to resume posting again tomorrow!

COUNTDOWN

With just five days to go before Pa's operation there is a strangeness in the air which is affecting us all in different ways. Pa, brave man that he is seems calm and untroubled,amazing when you consider that if this difficult operation is not successful ,he could,by this time next week minus his left leg!

My son ,who has just successfully launched his latest book is counting down the days, and like me feels that he is in limbo. Pa's case is packed and everything is in readiness for Friday ,everything else has been shelved. We have wrapped a few presents,written a few cards,as one does but none of the usual fun and games.....we are all just waiting.

I know that Pa is going to the best hospital and has the best surgeon for the job but with so many complications with his general health it is hard to stay positive. Whenever I see my brave man I just want to hug him,I want to keep him safe,now it is up to others to help him, I can do no more.

We have tried to plan what we will do when he comes home after his surgery,just a few days before Christmas. For instance Pa will be in hospital on his birthday so we shall have his party when he comes home...and that sums it up..when he comes home....it is all we think about just now.

Meanwhile my own health continues to cause trouble ,side effects from my new medication are so severe that I have stopped taking them and must see my G.P tomorrow. Of course not taking the medication ,means a return of the pain, a no win situation.

In spite of all this when I look around the house I am conscious of how very lucky we are, pretty decorations give each room a festive air and at night the glow of candlelight adds to the homeliness we love so much.

As a family we are so very close ,we always have been, now the situation we are in makes us care even more for each others feelings and so in spite of the fact that for us Christmas is on hold ,for now, there is in our home so much love that I feel we are wrapped up in it .

My dear son,a tower of strength to me at this time is everything a mother could wish for in her son,he is strong for me,gentle with Pa and has a wisdom beyond his years. Watching him take on the mantle of responsibility as man of the house in our hour of need has made us both so very proud of our boy.

So you see,we really are very lucky indeed, a fine son and kind friends are treasures beyond price and I am so thankful that we have both.

THE ROAST BEEF OF OLD ENGLAND

I was, recently lucky enough the purchase a whole brisket with the one in and complete with it'd full compliment of fat,today we all felt like a roast and so beef was decided upon.

Normally I would roast the meat slowly and serve it in the usual way with Yorkshire puddings roasted potatoes and mushy peas,but not today.

I have been feeling rather unwell of late and the amount of pain in my legs means that the less time I spend stamping about the better. With this,and with the preferences of my carnivores I decided to serve the meat in a way which would have been familiar to our medieval ancestors, tasty ,a trifle decadent and much less work.

With the main oven still out of action I heated up the halogen oven with half a pint of water and one it had reaches 185oC I added the beef rubbed with a little oil and with no foil cover at this point.

The wonderful thing about the halogen oven is that is cooks meat in a way very similar to the old method of spit roasting before an open fire,soon the smell of roasting meat was driving both the cats and ourselves to distraction.

An hour and a half later remover the meat and wrapped it in foil before replacing it in the oven along with some carrots and parsnips sliced thickly. In just over an hour the meat was cooked and was left to rest for fifteen minutes while the trenchers(inch thick slices of two day old bread) were cut and a salad of herbs added to the table.

Having poured off the most park of the dripping (fat) the remaining juices and the lovely brown goo was poured on to the trenchers and topped with thick slices of hot roast beef and a little salt.

We all enjoyed our feast and the added attraction of very few dishes to wash up after the meal added a welcome sauce to the dish.

Chocolate and cherry iced cream finished the meal which we all agreed was the best meal of the week.

On a much more serious note I should like to offer my heartfelt condolences to those caught up in last nights terrible events in Glasgow ,and to their relatives. That a group of happy people should be extinguished so suddenly make the event seem somehow even more terrible.

A COSY DAY INDOORS

While Pa was being marvelled at by the medical students at Kingston Hospital my son and I were obliged to wait indoors for the possible arrival of our new cooker,which needless to say did not turn up. It was however no punishment to be warm and snug indoors while a chilly wind blew the spiteful rain in all directions at once, until the lane was filled with dead umbrellas!

Still in the grip of some nasty side effects caused by my latest medication I rang the surgery to request a brief word with the Doctor as to weather or not I should discontinue any or all of the these troublesome pills,it is now seven in the evening, and I am still waiting.

My G.P is a dear old chap,kind and caring and hopelessly out of touch with the dragons who run his surgery.”Call me any time if you have problems with your medicines.” he said knowing that the large doses could well cause trouble,this is the third time I have had occasion to take him up on his offer and so far I have not managed to speak to him once!

My concern is that being a Friday things could get much worse before Monday when surgery opens again...no Saturday morning surgery here me old darlings...perish the thought!

On piece of terrific news is that my son's fourth novel in the “Alamo” series should be on sale by morning. Ill health,his own,mine and Pa's has held up the writing of this latest work and with Pa going into hospital next week the timing is perfect.

Sitting in the window the cat Moth has the benefit of a warm radiator, a good view of the lane and my self close enough to stroke her pretty fur now and then ,whereat upon she makes a noise similar to a tribble and closes her eyes in ecstasy,dear puss.

With so little time left before Christmas I confess to being a little concerned as my health is preventing me from carrying out many of the traditional tasks, my son,bless him tells me that as long as we have Christmas together nothing else matters at all...how right he is.

Just a nice day...

Avie had another nice day today, but is still rather worn out from her adventures yesterday - that and getting no sleep last night didn't help! She's retreated to bed early tonight, hopefully normal service to be resumed tomorrow...

A PERFECT DAY

Today was ,to me almost a dream come true and hours later I am still floating in a happy haze,and it's all thanks to my son.

He decided that we should go out for the day to put the new buggy through her paces, especially important is the accuracy of the mileage allowance and the batteries ability to deliver it. I confess that have been a little nervous about striking out on my own and possibly running out of power miles from home in cold weather.

After an early breakfast we set out for St Margaret's, a pretty suburb of Richmond on Thames,I measured my speed to my son's walking pace ans was surprised how little power had been used.

Felling more adventurous we set of for Richmond,a real treat for me as it must be at least ten years since I shopped there.

Richmond is blessed with several very good charity shops and these interesting emporium have always been popular with my son and I. Today I purchased a beautiful scarf with a silver butterfly clasp, a colourful fluffy scarf and a cast iron trivet for the wok, it was so exciting to be able to shop for bits and pieces again. I know it sounds a little pathetic but when you have been housebound for two years and then subsequently able only to get as far as the nearest supermarket,shopping in a lovely town like Richmond is a special treat.

We stopped for coffee halfway and then had a bit to eat on the way back so that I could safely take my medication. Thank heavens my son persisted in hos efforts to make me try a greater distance,because now other small and equally charming place are open to me,Twickenham,Whitton, Chiswick and Kew,my horizon is suddenly so much wider and although winter has set in all these lovely places will be there in the spring, I am so happy,so very ,very happy.

Pa treated us to a takeaway so that I| should not have to cook and so I chose pizza so that there would be no dishes to wash afterwards.

My perfect day ends with a cup of hot coffee and an early night, I am so lucky.