Autumn Sunday...

The sunshine shining on the changing colours of the leaves.

First signs of autumn in our garden today.

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Still some colour remaining in the hydrangea.

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The teazels are ready to brush your velvet with!!

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Raindrop-catching nasturtiums shining at us.

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Lupin seed preparing themselves for another year.

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Our red cabbage ready to pick. The first time we have grown them.

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A last, lonely autumn raspberry.

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Windfalls

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The last sorry-looking tomatoes.

Very disappointed with my tomatoes this year. Had 6 plants, but most of the fruit just went black and were completely inedible. After my great success last year (in a different greenhouse) I was not very happy, so will have to think anew for next season.

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Signs of new growth already appearing in the lavender.

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Other Half's begonias just keep on flowering and flowering. They continue in to winter and keep up a cheerful batch of colour by the drab garage.

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We spent the morning, cutting down, pruning, digging up, clearing up and sweeping up.

Hope you have had a happy autumn Sunday.

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Ann x

Relief ...

"What a Difference a Day Makes" sung by Dinah Washington- the first choice of music on Desert Island Discs this morning.

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A very appropriate song for me this morning. Yesterday I was not in a happy place, worrying so much about my appointment with the consultant this morning. However, last night a phone call from the hospital to say that my results were mostly 'benign', that word you only wish to hear! Therefore, I do not have to make the hour long journey to Llanelli today. Apparently I will have to go again, as they still wish to investigate further the biopsy results they took last week.

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The relief is palpable. I am a changed person. My Other Half says that I have 'come back to him' after being in whatever place I was being dark and unhappy. I had not even realised it myself until I literally suddenly felt the change and noted I had a smile on my face and was singing along with Dinah Washington.

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Ann x

Family History

I have done such a pleasurable thing today.

Uploaded photos of my Mum and Dad on their wedding day on to my Family History Tree.

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Dad aged 29 years old.

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Mum aged 29 years old.

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Rowland Palmer Rous and Doris Winifred May Scroggs

Married on 17th August 1935

in Stoke Newington, London

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Don't they look young, serene and beautiful?

I was even able to fit into that wonderful lace wedding dress when I was about 16!

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I still have the artificial coronet of apple blossom that she wore.

Her rosebuds were yellow and they have been tinted yellow in one of their sepia photographs.

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Was your parents' wedding day as beautiful - of course it was.

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Ann x

Godolphin House

I love visiting National Trust properties, so did not miss the opportunity to go to Godolphin House near Helston while I was down in Cornwall. This is a fairly new acquisition by the National Trust and you can read about it if you click on the above link.

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It is just coming to the end of a massive restoration project and is only open occasionally as the rest of the time it will be used for holidays. It has sleeping for 12 persons. Not cheap, but what a wonderful setting to spend time in.

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All mod cons now provided for guests. To my mind they have integrated the modern amenities into this wonderful building very well indeed.

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For once we were allowed to sit on the furniture and take photographs.

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The house was used in the 1970s for the filming of the Poldark series.

Unfortunately it was a very dull day when we visited, so my photos do not do it justice.

They have not done a lot to the gardens as yet, but they will be worth a visit in the future.

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Ann x

Sennen, Cornwall

Sennen Cove, Sunny Corner Lane and Gwenver Beach. Some of my other favourite places to revisit when I go family visiting to Cornwall.

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This is Ella, my niece's border collie puppy. She has only just started going out for walks on her lead, meeting other dogs and learning how to behave. She is wonderful and instinctively 'sits' and 'stays' when asked - even now at only a couple of months old.

She has also had her first day at 'work' in the stables where Jenny is a Manager. Jenny and her partner live in Sennen (lucky things) and so we went on a fab walk during the best October weekend for years!

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Looking across to Sunny Corner Lane.

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The beach was very crowded on the Sunday and Maggie and I even went in the sea! It wasn't too cold (really!) and we stayed in about 10 minutes - fantastic.

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Looking towards Gwenver.

The surfers were out in force as the line-up of waves was so good!

(I don't really know the jargon - just trying to show off!)

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Ann x

Biopsy

My right boob is black and blue. Yesterday I had to go for a vacuum assisted breast biopsy - I think they must have used a vacuum cleaner!

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I had a similar procedure on the left side in 2007 when everything was found to be OK, much to my relief. Because since then I had had no follow-up or checks of any kind I requested some further investigation to make sure all was well. It was found that there were further investigations needed on the right side that had probably appeared since the last x-rays!

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Obviously, blind panic sets in, but we turned up at the appointed time - they were running late - as they do and three-quarters of a long hour later I went in to see the consultant. He explained that the x-ray prep would take the longest time, but the actual biopsy procedure would be much shorter.

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Top clothes off, becoming hospital poncho on! Then up on to the couch! Well, they do things differently in the super all singing all dancing new Breast Care Centre in Llanelli (including 3D x-rays for a start). I had to lie face down with the correct boob hanging through a hole in the centre of the couch - the other one was hitched up somewhere!

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Then, the manipulation started to get the 'operation' site in the correct position. First it had to be pushed and prodded by unseen hands from below (I had now been raised up I realised as I could only see the heads and eyes of the nurses who periodically enquired if I was all right) - No that's wrong I was facing the other way first! That was before they had taken 3 or 4 x-rays, decided things weren't quite right and had me kneel up (remember I was raised up about 4 feet!) and turn completely round the opposite way! What a performance. Another 3 or 4 x-rays taken. The consultant had to be called to check all was OK. Then another doc came in to 'observe' and I was told I was a 'challenging' case (not me personally - they said I was 'doing well') to them getting the correct position for the procedure.

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The vacuum bit was very noisy - a bang, then rumbling - I told you they used a vacuum cleaner! with ice cold something sprayed on, anaesthetic administered and then about 6 'vacuums' taken. Not the most comfortable thing.

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The consultant patched me up saying that it 'looked like World War I'. - It does!

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Appointment next week to get the results. Fingers crossed.

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Ann x

Thank you Amanda !

Just returned from holiday to a lovely surprise package from Amanda at Eight-by-Six.

Of course, as you can see, I am obviously still a 'holiday spin' 'cos I have uploaded the pictures back to front - sorry

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The reverse of the very pretty pincushion

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A lavender-filled pincushion from Eight-by-Six

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In the surprise package was the very pretty pin cushion.

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Other goodies from Amanda's RHS giveaway.

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Thank you Amanda.

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Ann x

Back Soon .....

Off to Cornwall to see the family - leaving Other Half in charge.

See you soon.

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The lovely St Michael's Mount in Mount's Bay.

One of my favourite holiday visits.

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Ann x

Catching Up (2)

Ironman Wales

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Probably best to go to the website (link above) first then take a look at some of the videos - make sure you view the 2011 ones - "Ironman Wales 2011 Montage" is pretty good, gives the atmosphere. The 7.00 am swim was awesome in the rising sunlight. We went to Wiseman's Bridge to watch the cyclists going by (there were over 1500 entries, so they were cycling past most of the day. After their 2.5 mile swim and 100 mile cycle ride, they then had to run a full 26 mile marathon as well! The whole day was fantastic.

Did anyone you know enter? If so, I hope they had a wonderful time.

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We all had bells and plastic 'clappers' to add to the cheering as every contestant went past.

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My sister had a great time.

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What next? - Ann x

Catching Up

Been pretty busy lately -

First of all my youngest sister arrived for a stay ...

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I am the oldest of four -

Mary 2nd sister, Myself 1st, Cath 3rd and Maggie Youngest

Our Dear Dad groaned when he thought of all the weddings!!! But they are other stories ...

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We took Maggie to Anna's Welsh Zoo . This is run by Anna Ryder Richardson who used to do house and room makeovers - can't remember the name of her programme. She now does a lot of work in trying to save endangered species and also periodically has a programme on ITV.

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Spot the new baby gibbon. (If you click on the pic it is enlarged and you get a better view.)

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Managed to get my own shot of a nuthatch!

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These are wallabies, the smaller version of the kangaroo.

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We spent a most enjoyable day and Maggie enjoyed every minute, especially the lemurs.

A lot of very good work is being done here for endangered species.

Loads of information to be found on their website.

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Then ...

Tenby hosted Ironman Wales !!!

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To be continued .....