weekend prep

The plan for the weekend is to take young son(13 now!!)off to the Severn valley railway this weekend to see the Tornado,which apparently is a new build steam train,or so i gather,I'm sure train mad son will correct me(in lots of detail),so today is catch up in advance,notably a good clean of the chicken coop whilst it's dry outside.there's new bark chippings to go down and everything needs a good scrub,plus plenty of fresh straw so they can snuggle up as the nights get colder.

We have 6 hens now as someone needed to re home her 3 ex batts quickly and i had the space.once a new pecking order was established they settled in fine.It's fantastic to always have plenty of eggs now.

Will also sort out packed lunches for tomorrow and tonight and tomorrows evening meals,and maybe they'll be time for the huge pile of ironing this afternoon accompanied by radio 4?

tinkers day in the woods

our lovely boy had a great run round Burton woods this afternoon.You can see his big smiley face!

He's doing ok,but slowing down and doesn't always seem to have control of his legs,so i fear we maybe on a downward slide...

The vet said between 6 weeks and 3 months and we are entering week 11,but they said the end maybe very sudden.My heart aches..

Tea?

a group of us take turns to host coffee mornings,we met through our children who are now either at high schoolor uni,and wanted to stay in touch.

It has been an invaluable source of support as we have battled illnesses,children spreading their wings and unfortunatly the deaths of parents and spouses.

All of us love to cook and bake,and share recipes and ideas,we seem to be a junior division of the w.i!

Day at the beach

took some time out yesterday and took the dogs to hoylake beach for a run,not sure how much longer Tinker will manage walks like this as he gets very breathless now.Yesterday however we let him off the lead and he ran and ran with Poppy circling him,she must have run four times as far!Alovely afternoon for the memory bank when he is no longer with us.

Snuggled up in front of the fire when we got back but only after making some spicey apple chutney to allow myself a clear conscience!

Glorious day here today so have stripped all the beds and the sheets are merrily flapping on the line.

really must go now and clear chutney gunge from kitchen!

tinker

unfortunately our lovely boy has been diagnosed with lymphoma,cancer of the lymph glands.Really crappy as he is the sweetest dog and has had enough badness in his life.Didn't want to put him through the awfulness of chemo so he is on large doses of steroids to give him a bit more time and comfort.he is as bouncy as a puppy since taking them which is a joy to see.

bereft

Big daughter went to uni at the weekend...and all is not well.She didn't get into halls,which were allocated before results came out and was on a waiting list.They had to wait for people to give rooms up before reallocating them,and we waited till last Thursday before signing up for something else.So now having signed a contract they've offered her a room in halls and shes so miserable and unhappy in a house of second years who don't leave their rooms that she desperately wants to take it,but she has to find a replacement for herself or pay two rents.urghhh.On top of all that,missing her dreadfully and feel helpless as shes so far away.would anyone like a room in a shared house in Cheltenham?

can't believe it'sbeen so long since i wrote anything here but things have been quite hestic
.had a very wet week in somerset in our little caravan,ducks were actually swimming around a caravan near us!still had a lovely time though and even managed a huge treat of a lunch in the rainbows end cafe in glastonbury,my favorite place ever!
.the kittens have been neutered,Jeff bounced back,but Mabel is still sulking!she still has a cone on and feels very sorry for herself
.eldest daughter has just had her 18th birthday and we celebrated with a party at home,and i am proud to say i laid on a huge buffet and all of it was home made and mostly home grown.would have been so easy to go to the supermarket and buy frozen pizza's and other such rubbish, but so pleased i didn't,everything was made with love,and i think people enjoyed it.
.its been full on harvesting,cooking and preserving from the allotment.love laying down stores for the winter!
.we have 3 more chickens!ex batt's,so beautiful and tame.love them running to meet me with our original 3,lovely little flock!
so thats things updated.awaiting a level results this week for eldest daughter this week then gcse's next week for youngest daughter.young son says he wants to stay at Nana's till it's all over!
well off sloe picking now as there are loads down on the marsh near where we live.