What's That!?! 4

It cannot possibly be Friday already! Where does the time go? At this rate it'll be Christmas. I really must make an early start this year. Maybe make should be the operative word, but what? Suggestions gratefully received.

Any way let's have a look at the answer to last weeks puzzle.

I rather liked Sandy's idea of 12 worms heading for lunch. It is fascinating that a poppy head resembles a clock, did mankind borrow the idea or is it coincidence? You've got to admire Mother Nature.

This week I would like to share this with you all.

Do you know what it is?

This photo was actually on a leaflet that I was given when I signed up to be a bone marrow donor. It is a baby stem cell in the eye of a needle. WOW.  To think they expect people to produce millions and millions of them just so they can have a SCT. It's a wonder there is enough space in the blood!

This week's photo is an easy one (I think.) Extra points for comical answers will be given as I need a bit of a cheer-up.

What's That!?! 3

OK here's the answer to last week's puzzle. I'm happy to say that luckily it wasn't yet another medical condition for Mike.

That fig is one of my very own, from my very own fig tree as mentioned here. The two decent sized figs ripened at about the same time and we were going to share, but Mike was too slow and so I ate his too.

So what about this week's photo?

September 21st Garden

Another month has flown by and it's time to show you all my garden. It is probably the very last time as the weather has turned a bit nippy and most of my produce has done it's thing and is now over.

A mess of unthinned leeks and compost tomatoes.

Slowly going red, chillies now it's chilly.

The raspberries are still doing what raspberries do.

The tomatoes still refuse to ripen.

Next month we'll have to find something more interesting to blog about, although if good news is no news we're glad we're boring you all.

What's That!?! 2

Firstly the solution to last week's puzzle.

Yes it was a bit of Toni, her smile in fact. Well done to Denise and Paula, although I loved Bill's answer and wish I had got a zebra as Birdie suggested.

This week I have a more challenging photo:

Go on, have a guess, it costs nothing.

Old news is good news.

Yesterday, while we were doing some work on the house we found a page from the Sunday Mirror, dated February 15th 1981. We just had to share it with you all.

 As you can see there was no Premiership or Championship, just the good old Division 1 and Division 2. West Bromwich beat Norwich 2-0 and Chelsea were in Division 2 and had been beaten 4-0 by West Ham.
West Brom were fourth in the 1st Division on goal difference, but with a game in hand over Liverpool, who were on the same points.

Cheered us up no end.

What's That!?!

Let's be honest Freebie Friday was a big fat fail. So inspired by Paula's Quality Street yarn photo yesterday I thought it might be a bit of fun to have "What's That!?!" Fridays instead.

I'm sure you all know the game so I'd like as many of you as possible to leave a guess, that includes you Dave and Lynne. I'll post the answer next week along with the next photo.

Ok this week's pic is:

Guilt free shopping

Do you like to shop?
Do you like to shop online?
Well why not kill two birds with one stone and raise funds while you are indulging in a little bit of retail therapy.
Registration costs nothing, so go on, if you are in the UK just do it.

OK maybe not completely guilt free, but it helps.


http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/myelomauk

Wash day blues.

Cartoon by Kev Moore.

Just after we got back our poor old dishwasher decided to have a nervous breakdown. Not the "I'm not going to start" or "I've had enough thank you" sort of breakdown. No this was a "switch me on and I'll simply blow the fuse box" type. This would have been fine, but for the fact it decided that half way through a cycle was a good time and as we usually put it on last thing at night, left us plunged into darkness while we tried to work out if it was a power cut (which we quickly realised it wasn't as every other house still had lights) quickly followed by fumblings in the dark as we searched for that elusive torch which is always put on the shelf next to the fuse box, but which mysteriously wanders when needed.  It then took forever to find the culprit for the constant tripping of the box. Every socket was checked and turned off. As you would expect, the dishwasher was the last thing we thought of (doh) and so there was an awful lot of flick-click, flick-click.

While Mike is fixing the old dear this old dear has had to take up the role. It's not so bad, I don't mind washing the easy things like glasses, cups and plates, it's just those nasty greasy, baked on saucepans and baking trays I hate. I actually find it theraputic, it seems to give my brain space to wander over troubles and worries.

I ain't half getting through the Furry liquid mind you.

Well I never.

When we left home for the festival we hadn't bothered to arrange anywhere to camp on the way back, maybe Mike thought it would be easier going downhill. After the journey up, and the length of time it took, we decided on Bank Holiday Monday that we ought to find somewhere to camp half way again. Luckily we had picked up a leaflet to the farm we stayed at the previous week. Tentatively we rang the number, hoping everyone was leaving now that the weekend was nearly over. Phew, they had spaces and so we set off once more for Ormskirk.

It turned out to be an excellent decision. We arrived back at the farm just after six at after quickly putting up "Connie" set off for the local pub, The Martin Arms for a bite to eat. Unfortunately we forgot we weren't in Birmingham, where the pubs serve until 9 and when we walked in at 7:10 we were told the kitchen shut at seven. Very kindly they told us that the pub by the canal might still be serving, so we hot footed it up the road. 

The Farmer's Arms was just the other side of the bridge over the canal. We had spotted it the previous week, but on that occasion the bridge was stuck open (or is that closed?) and we couldn't get across. By now we were starving and walked in with our fingers firmly crossed. It turned out the kitchen didn't shut until eight so we had time to buy a drink and have a quick look at the specials board.

The food was absolutely fabulous, far better than anything we would normally be served in a pub. I had chicken and ham tagliatelle and Mike had rump steak with Lancashire black pudding in a creamy mustard and mushroom sauce. They must have used a pint of cream between us. If you are ever in the area you really must go and try their wonderful fare.
The Farmer's Arms

Solfest sunshine and showers.

Our first festival morning was bright and sunny. So we set off in shorts and wellies, you just HAVE to wear wellies at a festival. We wandered around the traders tents and were slightly shocked at some of the prices, especially on a stall selling knitted goods. If you want to make money it seems gullible festival goers might just be the way to do it.

 As you can see,  Mike "David Bailey" is a bit obsessed with taking photos of my rear. Is he trying to tell me it's my best side?



Big knitting workshop.

The Hoochie Coochie Moonshine Band

The first act on the main stage was The Hoochie Coochie Moonshine Band and they were fantastic.  By the time they have finished the Cumbrian weather had reverted to type and the grey clouds poured in.

Dogan Mehmet and The Deerhunters.

The real highlight of the day was  the above band. "Dogan Mehmet, along with his backing band the Deerhunters, creates an Anglo-Turkish, Gypsy-Punk style mix of traditions and strong acoustic grooves." He certainly had the crowd in the palm of his hand and us all literally bouncing along and singing in Turkish.

We awoke the next day and oh boy did we know we'd been bouncing. Legs like lead and red raw throats. We dressed up in our costumes, but the weather was so changeable that we spent most of the day in our waterproof capes. So here are our costumes:

Yes I know we're not wearing them, but we forgot to take a photo while it wasn't raining.

Lost in translation

Today I'd like to tell you all about our journey to Solfest. We decided as it was such a long way towing "Connie" our trusted trailer tent and with Mike still not being 100%, that we would stop off half way and camp for the night. So we found a really quiet campsite just outside Ormskirk where we could pitch up for the night.

We decided it was also the ideal opportunity to meet up with friends who lived "just down the road". I did have to bribe them with the promise of cupcakes mind you, so as Mike says about Toni, their friendship is probably cupboard love, although they don't live in a cupboard (well so Mike says.)

So off we went to the local pub for a bite to eat. Our friend started talking about her nephew who is currently studying at Lancaster University. When we drove past it the following day I realised it was four times the size of the campus I attended over twenty-five years ago. Any way she was telling us about a fancy dress party he had been to the previous year where he had to go as a "Furry Tails" character. Not having young kids anymore I assumed it was the latest preschool programme and that like students before who had become obsessed with Teletubbies and Sesame Street, it was simply the latest craze. She went on to describe his costume, vest, tu-tu, wings and explained she was surprised when he said he had only needed to buy the vest. It wasn't until she told us that his girlfriend had gone as Dorothy that the penny dropped. It wasn't a "Furry" that he had gone as, but a FAIRY!! In my defence I did have a really bad cold and I blame my bunged up head for the confusion. It did have us all giggling hysterically mind you.

Come back tomorrow for the continuing story of our trip. I might even post pics of our costumes.

Cupcakes before I added chocolate buttons and Rolos.

Solfest and September.

So we're back from Solfest and September has crept up behind us. After over thirty years of "school" either as a student, wife or mother, it always feels like a new start. So what are my "New Academic Year" resolutions?

To blog more often, but that would inevitably mean a lot of posts about stuff you don't really want to read I suspect. I know that when we started the blog was to be about Mike and his Myeloma and our journey through it all. There came a point where we both wanted to talk and think about anything but the illness and so we started posting about other things (OK I did, but Mike was on the side giving directions.) We have been accused of not being informative. Very true, we're not doctors. In the early days I researched and read, but soon realised that even if I found something that related to Mike's weird responses to every drug they gave him, the information was shoved aside, leaving me feeling helpless and angry, so I stopped looking. I report events as they happen and maybe they will help others, but there are much better places to go to find medical information. Mike is in remission, which is fantastic, but I for one never forget what is around the corner and so we enjoy every day as it comes, including all the mundane stuff.

To get back onto my D.I.E.T. I decided that I would give myself a treat and took August off. A month of simply eating whatever I liked, not overeating, just enjoying homemade pizza or a slice of toast. It is time to get back to more sensible ways ready for the festive season ahead.

There are loads of similar ones like commenting more on other people's blogs and making more of an effort with my appearance (I've fallen into bad habits now I'm at home all day, jogging pants and trainers are the norm, not good.)

So tomorrow I'll be back to tell you all about our holiday up North. I bet you can't wait.