Off the radar for a bit ...

We will be off the radar for a bit

 

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Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas

 

and love and Peace

 

for

 

2014

 

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Ann x

Today I have been baking and sewing .....

 

Having received a free cookbook in the paper yesterday

I loved the look of Mary Berry's Mincemeat & Apple Caramel bake

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We shall have it with our supper tonight with creme fraiche and/or yoghurt.

Can't wait,.

It looked so yummy I just had to try it - and it is! - Yumm, I mean!

Make it yourself and you will know why!

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I have also been working very hard to finish the above quilting project.

Can't put up all the details yet, 'cos its a Christmas present.

I am thrilled to bits with it.

Will put up some pics when it is completed.

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Ann x

A fabulous evening ...

Yes, I am still here. 

Just carrying on with the everyday things of life.

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Today was fabulous.  Lots of sun which was surprisingly warm.

The temperature was very low and cold though,

but this meant the air was clear and fresh.

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We went to Freshwater West and then on to Stack Rocks.

What a treat.

I hope you enjoy our visit too.

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War Memorial at Freshwater West.

There were in fact loads of people about, walking on the beach,

walking on the costal path and surfing.

It was a very low tide so the surfers were just specks in the water!

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The Stack Rocks are at Castlemartin

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Long, long shadows at 3.30 in the afternoon!!

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This arch is called the Green Bridge of Wales.

Only accessible when the Castlemartin range is not being used for

army manoeuvres.

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Like I said, the weather was absolutely stunning.

The sky was blue, the sea was blue and very calm and there was no wind.

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Hope you have all had an equally wonderful day.

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Ann x

The 'New' Me .....

Just had a trip to Cornwall and come back feeling like a new woman!!!

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This is the 'new' me, courtesy of my 5 year old grand-daughter!

It is a very good likeness!!

I am still 'foreveryoung' though - even if my joints don't think so!

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I stayed at my sister's

and her visiting stray cat tried to get in to visit me too.

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I wouldn't let him in though!

You can guess what he was saying to me.

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He was a lovely tabby though, called Tim

and would sit on your lap at every given opportunity -

usually when you were having a quiet cup of tea.

Then he stuck his claws in, because he wasn't getting enough attention!

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Had a lovely week visiting family and friends.

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Must catch up on all your blogging news now.

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Ann x

Ironman Wales today ..... A big athletic event in Tenby

A few pics from the Ironman Wales Triathlon taking place in Tenby today.

I got up at 5.30 in order to watch the swim section of the event.

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Athletes pouring down the road to the North Beach start

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 After a heavy shower had passed over, the sun began to rise on a calm sea.

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7.00 am - 1800 + entrants rush in to the sea for their 2.5 mile swim

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St John were on hand to give help where needed.

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Swimmers arriving at the end of the first circuit of the swim course.

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A rather disinterested spectator - but he was wearing an Ironman T-shirt!

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Swimmers are much more spread out as they come to the end of their 2.5 miles!

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He is pleased to have finished the swim -

but now has a 112 mile cycle ride -

and then a 26.2 marathon run!!

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Cut off time for last athlete home is midnight tonight.

The locals will still be at the finish to cheer the last man/woman in whatever time it is!

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If you are interested there is a live coverage HERE that you can follow.

This is giving regular updates throughout the day.

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Have a great Sunday whatever you are doing.

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Ann x

 

Is it a bird? .....

Is it a bird? 

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Is it a snowman? 

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Is it a mushroom?

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We have so many apples on our trees

that they are bending to the ground with the weight.

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James Grieves

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Absolutely delicious with blackberries in a crumble.

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Laxton Superb

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NAME THAT BIRD!!

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Ann x

OUCH!!! ..... And then Whoopee!!

 

 

Not the most comfortable of injections I have ever had!!

but the results are amazing! 

I can walk about normally, no pain and no limping - wonderful. 

 I had to rest after getting home last night at about 6.00 pm

and also rest today and then 'mobilise slowly' -

so I won't be going for a 5 mile walk or a run just yet!!  

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OH says I look 20 years younger - which is great. 

I suppose all the pain etc, did take its toll on me a bit. 

At least I don't have to use the walking stick at the moment. 

Will see how I get on when I go back to driving, shopping etc.

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As I have to mobilise slowly

I will now go gently to the kitchen

and make us some scrambled eggs on toast for lunch.

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Don't know how long the effects will last,

but so far just the last 24 hours have been amazing!
I have heard reports of lasting 3 weeks to 9 months,
so anything in between is fine by me.
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Thanks for your good wishes Kath
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Ann x

Going for the Injection ...

 

No, its not very nice

It's a caudal epidural injection into the base of my spine!

To help with my spinal canal stenosis

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Orders to be at the Day Surgical Unit at 12.00 hours!

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At least I can eat and drink as normal before going in

not that I feel like eating much

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No nightclothes required,- but 'please bring slippers and dressing gown

as you will be recovering on a mixed ward'!!!!

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Had a shower - no talcum powder used!

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Removed all my nail varnish

Pity, my toes were their usual pretty summer blue!

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Not taking any large sums of money, jewellery or valuables,

just some easy reading - Being Elizabeth by Barbara Taylor Bradford

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I'm hoping this injection will allow me to re-join our walking group

At present I can only manage about a mile, and that with a lot of pain,

but if I can get up to 4 or 5 miles that would be great.

Fingers crossed.

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Ann x

Baking today ...

'Froogs' Gingery Biscuits - find her recipe HERE 

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I thought I would give them a try as I have my reading group here

tomorrow and they like to try out my baking.

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Its strange, they don't look anything like Frugal Queen's biscuits

but I don't think they will last very long.

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Will let you know if my visitors like them.

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Ann x

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(p.s. I have been so good and not even tasted one yet!)

(p.p.s. The group loved them and kept coming back for more.

One member has asked me to send her the recipe!)



Our Pembrokeshire garden is struggling ...

... To come to terms with all the different weather we have been having lately!

Scorching temperatures of up to 30! 3inches of rain in two days!

Sudden low temperatures of 9 and much shorter days now!

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Flower pot corner is suddenly bursting at the seams and everything is overgrowing.

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This wonderful purple clematis is flourishing like there is no tomorrow

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The bees are finally finding food and are absolutely everywhere!

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The echinops have never been so prolific and they are full of bees to.

Of course they all flew away as soon as they saw the camera!

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Very pleased with my crop of garlic.  It should last us quite a long time.

Our last year's crop lasted well into April this year.

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Quite a lot of apples, but they are small still.

I should have picked a lot of the tiny ones off as soon as they showed,

but didn't do it this year, hence the smaller fruit.

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The same with our other tree, but they are looking good too, if small also.

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Tomatoes are a distaster!!  I think I will give up and not try to grow any more.

Last year's were a  wash-out because of all the rain and most of them went black and

this year's just don't seem to be growing at all.  They really are as small as they look!

(The less said about my potato crop the better!)

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Herbs are very abundant though, especially our rosemary. The plant is huge and OH

has already taken some cuttings to start off more plants.  We also have good crops of

golden oregano, mint, fennel, lavender and thyme.

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Our lovely hydrangea is beautiful though and the pinks all merge into

each other and fade into purple, making up for all the failures.

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Hope your gardens are all doing well.

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Ann x

I'm still here! Prizes at Ludchurch Show

Gosh, I've never entered a Show before, so in order to support a nearby local

Show in Llanteg, several of us from my quilting group decided to enter

some of the various classes.

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I entered 6 Fruit Scones and won Third Prize.

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I entered a Jar of Mixed Herbs (at least 3 varieties)

and won Third Prize

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I entered 3 Beetroots and won Third Prize

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Chuffed to bits!!!

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I also entered a 'Photograph of a Building' and one of my quilts which didn't win any prizes but helped to add to all the entries in the various classes, which included, jams, flower arranging, knitting, tapestry, children's classes, vegetables, painting, etc, etc.  It was great fun and one of our quilting members won the cup for the person with most points in the Craft Section, so it was a good day for everyone and we helped to keep the show going as it was thinking it might have to stop for lack of entries in previous years.

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This all took place in the hall where we usually play our short mat bowls, so we give up our evening there each year for the hall to be prepared for the show.  Well worth it!

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Will come back later to catch up on things and see what everyone has been doing.

Hope you are all having a great summer and enjoying the sun, which we very much needed - although we have paid for it over the last few days and nights with at least 3 inches of rain!!

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Ann x

The 1950s Typing Pool

(Taken from The Pale King Photos)

After my blog about London and saying where I used to work, someone asked 'What is a typing pool?'  Well, I don't know if there are any nowadays, but this was how it was in the 1950s when I began my working career at the age of 18.  The girl with the curly hair on the far right of the photo could easily be me.  I looked just like that, could have even still been wearing short white socks!

I spent two years in the Sixth Form at John Howard Grammar School, Clapton, London.  There I learned to type on one of these wonderful typewriters.  All touch typing in those days, we were not allowed to look at our hands at all while typing! and we had to type at a regular speed, usually guided by a metronome!! e.g. asdf ;lkj asdf ;lkj asdf ;lkj - etc, etc,!!! try it. It is still very boring! Make sure you use the correct fingering though!

(Photo from ebay)

I also learned Pitman's Shorthand (highest ever speed 140 wpm!) and up until very recently I still had lots of shorthand books and I still have my original Pitman's Shorthand Dictionary that I had for Christmas in 1954!  It looks pretty dog-eared now though!

(Taken from Long Live Shorthand)
I can still write shorthand - not quite as neatly as this though and I have managed to read most of it.  Can you?

When I worked for The London Life Association in King William Street in 1955 the typing pool was run by a very stern lady. Trying to remember her name!  There were about a dozen of us in the room and as any staff member wished to have some letters done, we were sent up to his office with our shorthand notebooks to take the dictation.  Then we came back to type out the letters.  Remember - no computers then - Into the typewriter went at least two sheets of paper, one for the top, original copy and a second 'flimsy' copy to be put in the file. Between these two sheets was a sheet of carbon paper. Very messy stuff.  The inky side of this carbon paper had to be placed next to the flimsy and as you typed an imprint of each letter was reproduced from the top copy to the flimsy copy. Are you with me still?  Of course sometimes one made a mistake! Then you had to turn the paper up in the machine, open a gap between the carbon paper and the flimsy and put in a piece of plain paper, rub out the offending mistake on the flimsy, go back to the front and rub out that mistake as well and cover it with a bit of chalk - don't take out the bit of plain paper yet.  Make sure both sheets had the offending mistake removed, take out the piece of plain paper, return the cylinder to the correct typing place and re-type your mistake.  It helped to keep up our accuracy I can tell you.  And if you ever overtyped!!!  Well, I did that one time too many once and was called before the typing supervisor for a dressing down on my slack behaviour!  Ahh me - Those were the days - or were they!

And if lots of copies were needed you had to take out the ribbons from the machine so the type cut directly on to a wax sheet which was then put on to a Gestetner copier machine after you rollered over it with black ink. (But that's another story!)

(King William Street, London, where I used to work!)
(This is an old photo - not the current offices)
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How did your first job go?
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Ann x