On behalf of Marmite

 My Dear Friends

Thank you for being with me on my journey and reading along with me for the past three and a half years. I have got to know you all well and have enjoyed staying in touch. As this is my last blog, I'd like to say farewell to all my friends who are spread over all the world. That thought alone has been a joy. It is something good that has grown out of FB.

I know many don't like Facebook. I personally have never had any controversial or vitriolic posts on my page. I only read the top three comments ever as I am determined not to be drawn into habitually scrolling down. I know I am not obsessed and I never wan to be. I enjoy knowing it is there and I can see how friends are doing. I connect when I see there are comments about me - a vanity I'm afraid -  and I love to read all the replies that come after a blog. 

I must apologise at this point. I love everyone's comments equally. I seem to waver between likes and loves but for no particular reason. I think I am inclined to be a "lover" rather than a "liker" but just pressing the same thing all the time would look as if I didn't take on board what people have written. I do and I love it!

When I started writing my intention was to finish the blog when I arrived in the UK. It was you, my friends, who urged me to carry on. I have been asked to continue but I don't feel I can write to a dog who is now in doggy heaven. This is even though I feel his spirit is still with us and has touched Rita and me in such a big way. Marmite, you have found me a friend in Rita I will have for life. Thank you.

I was with you at the end. Rita called me at 3:30 in the morning so I could say Goodbye to you. My days since then have been a bit haphazard. I went swimming without my gear and in my slippers! Duh! I forgot things that are routine and I fluffed and blustered my way throug the intervening days. I have told everyone all about you and how special you are. You know that.

My sorry lies in not seeing you again. I seriously believed you would live forever. 

I will always love you

XXXXX

PS. This blog has been read over 22000 times. Wow! THANK YOU and goodbye.

9.12.2006 - 17.04.2023

 Dear Marmite in Heaven

There can be no other place for you. I knew at the the weekend when we spoke online that you were not long for this world. You were as always the grand old gentleman and now you are free of those aches and pains of old age.

I remember the day that we chose each other and you came home to our place. It was August 2007 and you had spent such a long time in a crate at the SPCA that your back legs were underdeveloped. Back then, the SPCA called you Happy. It was Sammi that said you looked like Marmite on toast. That is how you got your name. I gave you my father's birthday. It was ballpark around the right time. of the year.

When you came to us, you weren't always totally well-behaved but you learnt quickly. I still laugh at your quirky habits like putting your legs under the rug and taking a cushion off the sofa for a pillow. You were never the most enthusiastic walker either. Your response to "walkies" was to raise the tan dot over your eye and shake your head as if to say, "You go, I'll still be here when you get back!" You were a creature who loved his comforts.

Despite this reluctance we managed some epic jungle walks as well as swimming in the sea. We also used to take you to the dog run where you watched the other dogs chase balls and each other. Again, this was not your cup of tea. You liked to watch me play tennis from the comfort of the bench. Lazing on a bench was much more your thing.

There were some very funny phobias we had to work around too -black dustbin liners, bicycles, Indian men for starters. Monkeys infuriated you and they knew it. Thunder storms meant that you tried to get into spaces where you really didn't fit. There was no way a rotty X could fit under the vanity unit in my bathroom! Initially you were scared of me sweeping up with a broom and later, I couldn't get you to move when I wanted to sweep where you lay.

You politely said hello to me every morning. You said hello to our visitors when they came to the door. "He-lloooooo" and nearly everyone said "hello" to you too. Back then, I thought there was a man trapped in your body. Jeremy called you a "not-dog". You  have always been more than a mere furry friend. You liked people so much more than other dogs.

I sent Shadow back to the UK on a big aeroplane but I couldn't put you in a crate for that 17 hour trip. I really believed the stress would kill you. Back then Rita became the love of your life. I know Rita treated you like a prince and probably you thought that you had already arrived in heaven. There were no long treks for starters and she certainly wouldn't have dragged you through a drain! I never stopped loving you but I know it was meant to be that you were to live across the island in a new home. 

Every week Rita sent me pictures of you and until now I have told you about all the things that have happened to me. Your letters have been read on 7 continents. You have touched so many lives too and there will always be a place for you in my heart. 

The advert for Marmite is - "love it or hate it". Big as you were, you attracted children who showed no fear. They loved to hug and stroke you. You are truly special

Goodbye, rest in peace.

I will always love you

XXXXX

Strikes strike!

 Dear Marmite

Cadiz

Cadiz

Cadiz

This is the last full day of my trip to Spain and Portugal and in all, I have to say that Porto has been my favourite place despite the slightly cooler, sometimes rainy weather. Up until now, I have resisted buying things so I could keep my bag light. After a trip to a port tasting at Augusto's - an independent producer of fine wines and  rather nice ports - hic - my bag is a little heavier. 

On the guided tour round the oak barrels, I learnt a lot about what makes a port a good one. From now on Ruby port is not my "port of call". Ruby ports are the ones that have not been aged and like gin, 70% alcohol is added to the fermentation early in the process to stop the fermentation and keep the sweetness but it is the time in the barrels that adds the flavour. The longer, the better - I can vouch for that having tasted them.

PORTO - Sangria

More tales of drinking makes it sound like we have had a boozy time. This is not the case. It has just been some our more memorable moments. The drinking of Sangria in the early evening on the banks of the Rio Douro was another good drinking experience - marred only by a nip in the air and a table of really loud Brits! Brits get everywhere. It is understandable to be honest. Beer is 2 Euros, the weather is generally better and it is easy to get around on foot. 

Unfortunately, we were caught out by a rail strike so we have not used all our quota on interrail. So, not only does Britain have them! We did three of the five trains needed to get from Cadiz to Porto but at 7pm in the evening the strike meant that our trip could not be completed. So that it wouldn't delay our trip, I booked a Flixbus which left at 5 am the following morning and really expected that we could wander over to the bus staion in Badajoz and play Canasta all night... or something similar. We ended up sitting outside at the bus terminal with the wind howling and dogs barking for 5 hours of night time waiting for our bus. This wasn't what I expected. Vandana wanted to get a hotel but I thought by the time we settled in, we'd have to leave. 

I felt bad. It was not a good decision, We got frozen to the core as we only had light clothes and to top that, our bus change in Lisbon was two hours twenty minutes and not one hour twenty minutes as Portugal is on English time and not Spanish - errrr. This meant we sat in the early morning cold for a second time. By now, I was regretting ever wanting to get to Portugal. The trip was arduous and the weather miserable. In contrast, our last place, Cadiz, was warm and inviting.

The hotel in Cadiz was lovely. Cadiz is small so everything is "central". Cadiz had also had the "Santa Sermana" but unlike Seville where the cleaners walked behind the procession and dismantled the seating and stands, Cadiz left its ones up for the time we were there. I visited the cathedral and went up the tower - amazing. I also had a dip in the sea which was warm and inviting - lovely clean beaches and not crowded at all. 

Cadiz

However, the town area was crowded. A boat of Brits and their Filipino crew spilled out into the town, sat at the bars, spoke very loudly and drank all day. It is horrible of me to say this but, and it is a big BUT - our trip has been so much nicer where there are fewer tourists of any nationality. I don't enjoy queuing and I certainly feel uncomfortable in crowds these days. 

We did a 5 star dining experience... not advertised as such - the chef at his little authentic looking place told us which wines and the best choice on the menu. The restaurant was round the corner from our hotel in Cadiz and had a 2023 award in its window. The hotel I in Cadiz was also lovely, it had a roof top terrace and a restaurant / bar downstairs that we never managed to get to because of timing. The only naughty bit was the room cleaners who didn't clean. They turned our "door request" around and left the floor gritty and the beds unmade - ooopsie!

Throughout our trip we have had intermittent internet - a bit frustrating for booking things up and particulularly annoying when we were travelling. Internet here in Portugal is good though.  But for entertainment, who needs internet? As you remember Marms, I love my cards so I have been teaching Vandana Canasta. We started on the train trip down to Granada where an American sitting opposite kept asking questions about the game. We continued on our trip from Cadiz to Porto and sat for three hours in Merida playing. We still haven't finished a game. There was a restaurant in Seville called Canasta - in retrospect that would have been the place to pull my packs of cards out. Now I don't think we will have time to play before we leave.

Upcycling art in Gaia

Upcyling and holding a building together

Until now, I had never been to Portugal but I will certainly come again. So with heavier bags, and just one last day to enjoy Porto - a city my late friend Caz always raved about.  I feel at home here. I will sign off and say good bye for now. 

Love you

XXX

Porto

Porto

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

 Dear Marmite

I am in Seville with Vandana and what a grand place it is! Magnificant buildings, winding alleyways, attractions we only wish we could have got tickets for, and nightly Easter parades. It didn't seem grand at first. We had an airbnb disaster in the equivalent of a council, flat way out in the sticks, where the shower didn't work. There was no wifi. The beds were camp beds... I could go on. It gave us a very poor wrong impression of the place. 

We moved and are now right in the centre in a little hostel and this is not without its problems. The nightly parades mean that we have limited access to the hotel and we need a special pass to walk across the parade route. Last night was the last of the parades and there were 18 brotherhoods with accompnying Jesus' on incredibly heavy, ornate floats and bands. We thought we had seen quite a few of them on our wander around the alleys and then we were trapped 20 meters away from the hotel entrance for about two hours. 

Previous nights when there were gaps in the processions, we were allowed to cross the path and go to the hotel. Saturday night was different. The police became over officious as the crowd got angrier and man-handled us to stop us getting through - not good policing.  One man couldn't get to collect his baggage from our hotel and missed his flight. A fight broke out while all human life was crushed into our small alley watching the floats pass by very slowly. 

By the way, these floats are lifted and moved by about 20 strong men and they sway along the alleys in rhythm with the music. It is very impressive how ornate these floats are. So much effort and time- and all for Easter.

Masses of people in the parade wore the pointed purple hoods and from a distance they looked funny floating past above the heads of the crowd in front of us. These pointed hats date back to the Inquisition and signify sinners. What a lot of them there were! I have to say that Spain has also been blessed with an excess mediocre muscians. The brass dirges following the floats went on til midnight EVERY night! Apparently have been lucky enough to catch something that happens once every 25 years... I probably won't be around for the next one!

There is however, one Jesus I was very grateful to. I bought a plug with a USB port from Media Markt in Barcelona and it was the wrong USB. It was a USBc port so I caught a bus out to a shopping mall way out of the centre in Seville and Jesus - Hey-zeus - as they pronounce it over here really was my saviour. He refunded my money and was so helpful. This was just when I was beginning to think there were too many Jesus'!

Our visit to Castella Jorge on the Triana side of the Rio Guadalquivir we discovered the this was the seat of the Spanish Inquisition. Oh how many times in history has religion been used to control the masses and give evil people power? The old castle is now a market and the exhibition of modern art placed in the dug out ruins of the old castle was well worth it!

Looking back, we had such a lovely place in Granada. It was quiet, up a hill and overlooked the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. The owner - Michelle  - is an artist and Cuban. His pension was just perfect. Sadly, I think that all other places will fail by comparison. He told us the best places to eat, and sat and chatted. It really was a home from home. 

And now.... we are off to Cadiz. I'll tell you more of our trip later... The internet here in Spain is dodgy to say the least!

Love

XXX

Barcelona, Barcelona

 Dear Marmite

For the last couple of days I have had a tune going through my head and the words to that tune are the title of this letter. I am on holiday and oh how I deserve it! Over the previous week, life has been a little hectic. I had a flat tyre in a deluge last Sunday. I welcomed my Ukrainian guests; Nicolas and Nataliia on Tuesday. On Thursday my very old friend from the Bahamas came to stay and so did Mark from Singapore. You know both of them. I had a house full and two big meals to do. I still don't have a complete voice either.

Thursday night was a planned homegrown quiz night. Noisy toys from Ezra-Mae's box were our "fingers on the buzzer" and to be honest, it was quite funny - actually it bordered on the silly and I was hopeless at the film and music rounds. Friday night was Iftar. The Iftar was truly international and we played a pretty raucous game of spoons without too big an international incident after eating. I won!!!

So with the washing up done and the kitchen reasonably tidy, I left my guests at my home to look after themsleves and set off with a little help from Nasser to Gatwick very early on Saturday 1st April. I am not a fan of airports. I don't particularly like Gatwick and now I like it even less than I did before. I give minus 5 points to Vueling, my flight operator. The actual flight did not show up on the screen and after running to the wrong flight gate we nearly missed the flight we were booked on. I say we - we is Vandana and me. 

We are on a whistle-stop tour of some of the best bits of Spain and Portugal. We have an interrail which hasn't proved to be the easiest way to book trains as I had to wait til I was here in Spain to book them. Now we are almost sorted. We arrived in Granada - and not without incident - about three hours ago -  and now I am on a roof terrace writing this to you... It is getting a bit nippy. I can see the Sierra Nevada with snow caps from where I am sitting. This is a special monent.... al fresco dining, snow caps and delicio cheapo plonk to boot.

On the first leg of our journey to Madrid, we were stopped and everyone got off the train while a fire further up the line was brught under control. This might be a complete fabrication of what really happened as my Spanish is ropy and I am not sure whether I actually heard the word, "feugo". However, we were worryingly close to missing the connection which we understood was leaving from Via Diez almost as soon as we had disembarked in Madrid. 

Now we are in Granada. The weather is warmer The world looks good from where we are sitting. I always reckon the world really does look better through the bottom of a wine bottle wherever you are. You should try it, Marms. We have left my very good friend, Mary behind and I am quite sorry she couldn't be with us on the rest of the trip. She certainly made the Barcelona leg very memorable.. We miss you, Mary!

Love from Spain! Hasta proxima

Love

XXX

Happy Mothers' Day and other reasons to celebrate

 Dear Marmite

My garden

It's official!! Spring is here. Now we are passed the 21st March I am determined to get back to my cold shower regime until 21st September. Part of this has been forced upon me as my boiler started leaking really badly and Mr Very Expensive Plumber has said it needs a new part so that I can once again have heating and hot water. The valve that interchanges between hot water and heating has perished and that whole unit needs changing. Roll on next Monday!

My oven had also stopped working. I ummed and ahhed whether to get someone to look at it or to just get a new one. It was part of the original kitchen so it is well over twenty years old. The seal round the door had broken so I did my research and decided a Samsung one offered the most energy efficient option. It has one oven that can be heated as half an oven or a whole oven. For one person the half oven option seemed a good idea. 

I went down to Currys to get professional advice on ovens in general but the assistant was worse than useless. I asked if she could find me someone who could give me good advice. She walked off and was last seen across the floor laughing with two other assistants. I wonder what Currys pay her to do? 

I went to John Lewis but they don't stock the oven I was interested in, so annoyingly, it had to be Currys. I ordered it on line and now it is fitted. It works brilliantly. It heats up almost instantly and times how long it is working for once it hits the right temperature. Things could be looking up culinary-wise. The only down side is that my oven fits the gap but in a different way to the old one. So until I find a carpenter, I have a gap between the oven and the worktop. 

After my trip to Scotland, I found I have a mass of bites across my tummy. They run in lines so I reckon I got bed bug bites from staying with my darling son. This was my only Mothers' Day gift and I have to say it is an enduring one. My voice is still croaky but my cold sores seem to have abated so things can only get better. Roll on my holday!!!

Now it is Spring, I am keenly looking at my garden to see what has survived the drought of last summer and the wickedly low temperatures over winter. Most of what I planted last year seems to have died but I am proud to say my bulbs have come up in abundance. I have bought a little shed to keep stuff in. I manually screwed in about 5 screws before I realised I need an electric screwdriver. My nextdoor neighbour came to the rescue and we put it together in about an hour! 

So now I am off to the pool on my bike for quick dip. This is a pleasant jaunt down the canal on the tow path. Now the weather is warming up there are so many more boats around again. What is more, I can feel that summer is just round the corner! Yay!

Ramadan Kareem, Marms... 

Love You

XXX

In praise of Paper Cow!!!!

Dear Marmite

Another week has passed and my cough, cold, snotty nose and numerous coldsores are only just beginning to fade - I still don't have a voice though. I have to say that Nin Jiom Pei-Pa Kao has been the only thing that has helped me and it took my son, Sammi to take me on a trip to Dundee to find it. This should really be in praise of my son too. 

Having been under the weather for some time now, I feel I have researched enough different cures to categorically recommend "Paper Cow". Every home should keep a bottle just in case!

The funeral seems a long time ago  because so much has happened since then and yet it is still very much in my mind. Danielle and Richard could not have put together a more beautiful send off for Hope. Despite the horrible, miserably wet weather, friends and family came from far and wide to be with them. The little pink coffin will stay in my mind for ever. It is a metaphor for an upside down, unjust world. 

On the brightside, because of the snow Ezra-Mae got yet another "No-man" in her front garden. Sammi and I set off for St Andrews on the Thursday while it was snowing. I packed emergency rations, a polar sleeping bag and lots of water just in case we ended up stranded in the heavy snows that were predicted. We went through a bad patch in the Midlands but north of that the weather got better and better. Sheffield had fourteen inches of snow. I know that because I have walked through the slush left over this morning! 

We were lucky not to get caught, especially as most of the rations were gone well before we got to St Andrews! The weather up there was beautiful. I met up with old friends for lunch at the Balgove - lovely place. Sammi joined us late - now there's a surprise! We also did the V&A in Dundee - another lovely place. All topped off with a Cri-pie in St. Andrews - the best pies ever. So all in all not a bad trip and worth chancing the bad conditions for. We even managed to get to a B&Q and buy supplies for Sammi's renovating project  - already the house is looking better. 

On top of this got hugged by Sammi's footballing friend just because I was his Mum - the footballer was lovely even though he was in full Scottish brogue and a little worse for wear on that Saturday afternoon. I also met up with the person who had read this blog in Antarctica - This means my blog has been read on all seven continents.  All in all, I had a wonderful trip. Thank you, Sammi.

On Sunday I set off for Sheffield to stay with Anita. I decided on a cultural detour to Morpeth. I visited a National Trust property - Cragside -  for an interlude in the journey south. Fascinating - the property originally in the hands of William Armstrong is the first place in the world to be powered by hydroelectricity - clever man! 

So here I am, in the warm watching parallel rain drive across the garden. I did my 10,000 plus steps through slush in totally the wrong shoes. I walked a little dog called Winnie, who has probably done her 40,000 steps and is now curled up next to me. 

That walk could have been you, Marms. 

Love you!!

XXX

Reasons to be Cheerful

 Dear Marmite

Despite everything, there are reasons to be cheerful. This is something I have to remind myself when I am coughing and spluttering through the night with a heavy cold and my seventh coldsore since the beginning of February. I gave into myself at the weekend and lay on the sofa most of the day... Oh poor me! 

I told Nasser I was feeling a bit under the weather so I wouldn't be going to tennis. He thought this was strange as the sun was shining and it seemed like a good tennis day. It wa just another of those really confusing idioms that roll of the tongue with no effort at all. Being a bit rough, I managed to finish the blanket made from bits of wool that Danielle gave me. It is for Ezra-Mae's dolls. I can't wait to see her face. It is made up of flowers - very dolly-like.

Along the way, I have been doing the odd bit of dog sitting for Shadow and Lucky, and baby sitting for E-M. Yesterday, while still feeling yuck, I cycled to meet her in Stony Stratford where there is a playgroup. I needed to cycle - I hadn't done anything all weekend. The first disaster was a flat tyre... £18 to get it fixed. I didn't have a choice. I had EM to look after and I needed a bike to get back too.  

I never did playgroups with my three as I wasn't in the country so it was a pleasant surprise at how well organised and happy the whole thing is. Richard and Danielle popped off and I was left in charge. At the end I set off for the bike shop with E-M, two bags, and a present that one of the other Mums had given to her. For part of the walk, we carried the dolly bassinet together. However, by the time I had paid for the bike, put both bags in the basket and sat E-M on the saddle I had lost the toy... argh.. 

That wasn't the worst of it. Somehow I also lost E-M's water bottle and a dummy along the way. Then when I was posting a letter, she head butted the postbox and cried. So not only did I feel like rubbish, I was also pretty useless. At least today is another day - Sammi is on his way down so no more disasters, Marms... I couldn't possibly top yesterday.

I have bought a Brown Turkey Fig tree to commemorate Hope's short life. It is at the Community Orchard. Eventually it will have its own sign too. I am currently on a project to make wooden signs for all the trees. You wouldn't believe how long it is taking. The layers of varnish alone take at least a week. I have to say they look good. It is a real team effort. All I do is write the name, burn it into the wood and varnish it. Someone else is making the posts and sticking them next to the correct tree. 

Tomorrow is the funeral - a gathering of clans, and a time to say Goodbye. Danielle and Richard have been so solid sorting this out. It has been an unbelievably tough time for them. People say it is only at weddings and funerals that people get together - This seems to be true. At least Daniele and Richard know they are surrounded by love across the world, especially at this time. 

Now my big reason to be cheerful is that I am going travelling. First of all Spain and Portugal and then Singapore. The only problem is that I need to line my ducks up before I can finalise my dates for my long trek East.. I can't wait to see you, Marms. I never thought it would be possible when COVID hit.

My reasons to be cheerful aren't quite like Ian Drury's but nonetheless I am convinced that metaphorically the sun will come out tomorrow. There is always something positive to look forward to - even if it is anther dodgy-cum-dangerous babysit!

I really do love you. Hugs all round

Love

XXX

PS. One reason not to be cheerful- my quiz team now have a handicap at my local. Tut tut. This is because we won again. We have a dodgy reputation even though we don't cheat. 

Adieu

 Dear Marmite

It is at these very sad moments that I find it difficult to find the right words to express my feelings. Hope Julia Dawn was taken off life support on Sunday and spent the last short while of her life in her Mum and Dad's arms. Friends and family were with them all day. Danielle has explained to Ezra-Mae that her baby sister is going where the snowman went. Ezra-Mae's melting snowman that her Dad made is still a talking point and we all love to sit and watch The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. I like that idea. 

The 9 days of Hope's life have been a blur. In some ways for me it was like musical chairs. I had Shadow, then I had Shadow and Ezra-Mae. My friend, Peter, in the village had Shadow while I went up to the Special Care Unit in Leicester and I passed E-M to Amira while I played a tennis match. Shadow is now with Richard's brother in Cambridgeshire. Now I have Lucky. Lucky is Sammi's dog. As I said to my friend - I've got Lucky!!

In fact, we have all been so lucky to have so much support and I can only praise the staff in the hospitals for all the love and emotional support they gave as well as their professional care. These people are truly amazing. Jenni was Hope's special nurse. So that we could hold Hope all the tubes had to be taken out of the incubator and then stuck to our arm. It was a tricky manoeuvre. Nothing was too much trouble. It seemed like everyone automatically knew who we were and greeted us by name. It was all so personal. Thank you NHS.

Hope was Christened on Saturday morning. Danielle videoed it. I watched the video and cried. I have now watched it a couple of times and it still touches me. Hope came to us for a reason and even though her life has been short, she will remain in our hearts. Danielle and Richard could not have loved her more. The hospital have prepared a memory box for babies like Hope. That is a special thing too.

While all this has been happening, other parts of our lives continue. I was showing off my Junk inbox to my friend, Ann. I get emails for Hot Ukraine Girls and Penis Enlargements - I wonder why? Among these was one from my car insurer. The payment hadn't gone through for renewal. Argh... I had been driving without insurance unbeknowningly. That had to be sorted. Panic! There are other things in my life on the back burner. One day I'll get back on track.

I even collected letters from my postbox and then didn't open them and there are probably a few things in my house that will turn up in the most unusual places. Ezra-Mae at two is all over the place. She has a box of toys here but there are always other much more interesting things to play with. She likes to wear a yellow rubber glove - that is now part of her toys so it will probably no longer be of interest. On the downside she has a thing for the dog's water bowl. This she likes to throw... Naughty!

So Marms, life here is a bit frenetic. I send my love to you and thank you for listening to me at this sad time. You are very special even though I do have dogs around me to love.

Love you, as always

XXX

Blessing in Abundance

 Dear Marmite

Earlier this week I wrote  and told you the news of baby Hope. She is still in Leicester Hospital in the care of experts and she is coming up to a week old. It has been a week that I can not easily describe. Danielle has been up in family accommodation in the hospital while Rich has taken care of Ezra-Mae and then they swap places and Danielle comes home to Ezra-Mae and Wolverton to a life that is anything but normal. 

Eaxh day I get updates on her progress. It feels like she takes two steps forward and one step back. When she is a week old, they will do a scan to check her brain function. As yet she is being kept alive on life support. Words cannot express the mental turmoil and feelings I have. I just want Danielle to know that I am there for her.

I'm doing my bit. For the time being I have Shadow. At 12 she is still a lively dog who doesn't mind being dragged over muddy fields. We go out twice a day and she is always eager to have her harness on. She was aptly named. She likes to be near me. Her mat has been dragged into my bedroom and she comes into the bathroom to watch me go to the loo. Please take note Marms, the word walkies makes her excited. Shadow is my new best friend!

While I look after Shadow I have had others look after me. Ann has stayed with me for a few days. Canasta and Scrabble have filled our time very nicely. Singapore friends were around at the weekend and we spent a lovely afternoon at the Barley Mow. 

I have been touched by how much love and support everyone has shown. We have all been truly blessed. From all our friends who are praying for Hope I know that we have all the bases covered. I think we are only missing prayers from a Taoist and a Catholic to ensure all hotlines to God have been engaged. The world is full of love and I know we are all more alike than we are different. I thank you all for the love you share. I can feel that love.

Richard's company have just offered to pay for a hotel room near the hospital. This means that the family can stay together at this time and that is so much better for each of them.

Danielle and Ezra-Mae went up this afternoon to join Richard. I now have a moderate list of items she needs me to bring along tomorrow when I visit Hope. Mums are useful for some things.

Love you Marms. I know your thoughts are with us

XXX

Touch and Go

 Dear Marmite

I really wanted this blog to you to be a happy one. It isn't. Danielle had her baby last Friday, 3rd February. She had a difficult pregnancy, a difficult labour and now a newborn that is on the brink of life. Sadly, it is touch and go whether baby Hope will pull through. Currently Richard, Danielle and Ezra-Mae are in Leicester as there is a Specialist Baby Unit up there. There are so many sad things about all of this and the biggest is that Danielle cannot pick up this little bundle and give her a cuddle. 

Danielle says everyone in the hospital has been marvellous and supportive all the way through and we must praise them for everything that they have done. They recognised how tough it was for Danielle to be back on ward 9 with other mothers who had their babies with them. Now the family is in Leicester where there is a specialist baby unit. 

I am in constant touch with Danielle and I have Shadow with me. I know Shad-the-Bad spent last night on my sofa - Bad Dog... She then disappeared this morning and didn't answer when I called her. She was hiding under my bed. Bad dog. We went for a walk around the village and I was constantly looking at my phone and texting. This is something that irritates me no end when others do it. Whoops. Special times - special measures. Message to self - be more tolerant!

I was away last week and my Ring doorbell alerted me to movement outside my house. My nextdoor neighbour, Colin, had helped himself to my hose and water supply to wash his car. Bloody Cheek! I spoke to him through the Ring and he said he would have asked if I was around. He actually has my email, phone number and whatsapp... He really could have asked if he if had wanted to. He was caught red handed! Tolerance levels low.

My overriding emotion is actually love for Danielle, Richard and Ezra-Mae at this special time. As a Mum, I want to fix things and make everything right. I wish I had those special powers. 

I used to let my heart out to you, Marms, and I know that you always looked at me in just the right way to show you understood. I know you are there for me now. 

I really do love you,

XXX

Shit Happens!

Dear Marmite

Up high and spotting VERY big "dogs"

Here we are and only just into the New Chinese Year and already things are looking down. When they do, this makes other things worse too. Let me start with the fitting of my new balcony French windows and three other windows. I ordered them in the hottest month of the year and they were finally fitted on a really cold day when the temperature didn't rise much above -2c. What bad timing, eh?

To give the fitters their due, they worked really efficiently and I kept them supplied with incredibly sweet tea by the gallon. When they left, my house took a whole 24 hours to reach a comfortable temperature. Now that that part of my house is back to normal I am so pleased I had it done.

While the fitters were doing their thing, I had Ezra-Mae for a couple of hours. I usually plan my time with her so we do lots of different things. My options with the workmen around were limited. We started off dancing to Alexa nursery rhymes, then dressed up warm and  went to the swings and slides - not the best idea with icy steps and slippery equipment but it filled a while. Ezra-Mae has umbrella names for things - "car" is everything that drives along the road. She says, "Car" I say, "No, van".. easy.... She says, "dog" I say, "No, horse"... I am working on it....

It was all happening at the same time = while the windows were being done, my handyman was back to sort out the flaky paint on the ceiling and fit a carpet offcut in the mezzanine area. The carpet is now fitted and looks lovely. It is now a very cosy place to camp out! That certainly doesn't count as a shitty outcome. Originally I thought of it as a place for my grandsons to hang out but they are now back in Australia so that won't happen.

The carpet is sorted but the paint job will take a bit longer. The rafters under the roof are wet and the insulation is damp too. So now I am awaiting the roofer who fixed my ridge tiles last summer to come and check out the problem. As the plaster took so long to dry, the handyman knew there was something amiss. Job remains undone.

So with all these things happening I start to notice how other things irk. I get annoyed when someone says, "See you later." I have started to reply - No, you won't... I won't be back for some time. What is it with this over familiarity in shops? errrr.

Added to this, I am annoyed with the Israeli rhetoric after the murder outside a synagogue. I totally agree that it is sad but demanding revenge on all Arabs when they don't expect Palestinians  to want revenge for all the bad they have had done to them is pathetic and ridiculous. I know where my sympathy lies.

There are so many things in the news that irk. I Think it would be a good idea if all Tory MPs and their cronies could be supplied with a gun so they can shoot themsleves in the foot and shortcut this long drawn out path of self - destruction. Just a thought. Sadly the strikes are not weakening the resolve of our heartless leaders. I am beginning to see this as having the same outcome as the General Strike in 1926. The miners lost and ended up with less pay and poorer conditions back then.

There are ups amid all the downs. I think there there is an elephant in Flitwick. I went to Diane and Jeremy's for Burns Night. That means a meal of haggis and other things Scottish. Jeremy says he made a clootie pudding but I think an elephant was had a hand in it, so to speak. As they say, Shit happens! Actually it tasted fine with custard. Thank you, Jeremy.

Freshly caught haggis..clootie image censored

So, Marms, life is not a bed of roses but I do manage to smile at my adversity. 

Love you

XXX

Gong Xi Fa Cai

 Dear Marmite

Happy New Year of the Rabbit. May it bring great fortune to you. I spent most of New Year's Eve getting whatsapp greetings from all over. I felt quite connected even though I didn't have a celebration. I even played Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi ni ya on Youtube to get in the mood. This song is an earworm as it is played in all the supermarkets around this time. I'll NEVER forget it. Never.

Today I have cleared the living room as I have a workman coming to fill the cracks made before the roof was repaired. I got up early and moved the furniture around. Behind each piece lurked spider webs and fluff - a  year's worth - and I thought I was good at cleaning. Obviously I am dillusional on that front.

I am sitting writing this awaiting his arrival. He is very skilled but equally unreliable. This I find quite frustrating. Added to this he is not good at responding to texts so I feel I am left hanging somewhat. 

The weather over here remains the wrong side of minus. Yesterday I played tennis in -6c. This wasn't too bad once I got moving and there was no wind at all. The sun smeered the sky so I congratulated myself for braving the weather to have a hit. 

I also took Shadow for a long walk back to my place the other day. The puddles are now skating rinks but at least more of the flood plain is accessible. Shadow doesn't like the ice any more than she likes water. She delicately tiptoes around the glassy bits. Some of the narrow boats throw out choking smoke which makes walking along the canal less than enjoyable. I can appreciate how cold the boats must be. The ice sits right up to the hull.

It remains for me to wish you all the best. Don't eat too many pineapple tarts! Enjoy the parties and the fuss you are getting. It will only last for 15 days!

Love You

XXX

New Year Niggles

 Dear Marmite

Weather bad!! It is either cold and windy - not nice for trying to hit a ball or incredibly wet. Whichever way you look at it, going out over here definitely has its drawbacks. Yesterday I tried to play tennis with the wind howling straight at me at one end of the court and the wind behind me at the other - exhausting to say the least. Also with 35mph winds, tennis becomes a game of chance. 

Last Friday I set off for more tennis. I travel by the back roads to the club - less traffic and more direct, I reckon. I got to the humpback bridge and there was a queue of cars and vans. This I thought was most unusual. The other side of the the bridge was flooded for about 100m and because of the narrow road only one car could go through at a time. I began to get nervous - I knew how to deal with deep water and cars with a manual shift but my car has lots of electrical bits which I figured don't work well in water. There really was no way back. behind me was a single track humpback bridge with a van on and ahead was the water. When it came to my turn I imagined getting stuck at the deepest part and spending the day awaiting rescue. Kevin - my car - ploughed on through. Yay... 

On Saturday I set out for a walk. I got to the Iron Trunk Bridge and then down onto the flood plain - it was flooded. It was flooded in both directions so I climbed back up to the canal and walked home. Short walk. The other day I tried to go down the Buckingham arm of the Grand Union Canal. Much of it is yet to be excavated and the path is not well trodden. Just a little way along I stopped walking and started slipping and sliding. I had trouble standing up at times. I then thought about turning back. I was about half way along so thinking it couldn't possibly get any worse, I squelched on to the bridge and then up through the field to the road. I had mud right up to my thighs. 

This trip reminded me of our 14km Green Corridor CNY jaunt to Keppel Railway station which was equally as messy - if not more so. That one also had the added excitment of escaping from a restricted area via a drain. You, Marms were traumatised. I was mucky from head to foot and it is probably still on action replay on the CCTV cameras. I am sure people would be amazed how unco-operative you were getting into a drain with me.

Once one thing begins to niggle, others follow. Besides the mud, I am becoming more and more irritated by TESCO self checkouts. They don't work properly. I put my bag of the counter and then the system needs a TESCO worker to approve. I scan my items and sometimes they don't scan. This again needs human support. So with half the tills, queues twice as long, I feel agrieved at the time I waste waiting for support to help me pay for the things I want to take home. errr...

Also EE are annoying me. I changed provider before Christmas and I am now getting threatening emails and sms's from EE to pay my bill for a service I terminated. They are threatening to cut me off. I have contacted them but human support doesn't seem to be able to make any difference. errrrr...

I am still going with my 30 days of yoga. I am a little behind as I have been away and have done other exercise. I still roll around like a hippo on my mat and laugh at myself. As it is in the privacy of my bedroom, no one else can laugh at me - thankfully. You used to lie underneath me when I did my stretches back in Singapore  - remember? I think that was because I gave you a guilt trip for you not wanting to exercise. 

I have done a jigsaw too. It is a long time since I did one. I was lent it by a friend at the tennis club and it was a tennis cartoon picture. For most of the time I was convinced that key bits were missing. There was a couple of edges that didn't seem to fit until right near the end I realsied I had put some bits together wrongly... errr... The end result - me with smug satisfaction that it only took me an evening to do. I had a bit of a chuckle at the picture. I think I have met most of the players depicted in it.

So life isn't all bad. I have longer days to look forward to as well as some planned holidays. 

Keep smiling Marms,

Love you

XXX