Friday Shoot Out - BIRDS

I thought I was going to really struggle with this weeks assignment - BIRDS but I am quite pleased with the pictures I got. We went up the mountain to our friends house yesterday and I was hoping to get some pictures of pheasants but they were deep undercover because of the cold.

My friend has got these geese and they are always milling around the yard looking for food, at one point they even ventured into the utility and tried to steal the dog food! They can be quite nasty and are considered by some to be better guard dogs than dogs themselves!

The brown ones are the nastiest so my friends said so I kept well away from them!

They make quite a noise, gaggling along in their little "goose" line.

I did get a picture of pheasants but they weren't live. Some may not like this but this is countryside living. The birds roam wild and free and live a lovely life until they are shot. Not killed in an abetoir en masse. These pheasants are being "hung" to improve the flavour of the meat.

I collect teddy bears and this one is a limited edition Steiff called "Romance". I bought this bear because of the little robin he is holding. I always connect Robins with my late brother Peter so I just had to have this bear for my collection and as you will have guessed, the bears name is Peter.

This is a close of shot of the Robin singing his song to Peter.

The MINI badge has wings so it could be a bird of sorts.

A great assignment, really got me thinking!

Review of the last decade....

Somebody mentioned a review of the decade on facebook and I decided to blog about things which have meant something to me, personnally. You will probably find alot of it boring, but it is theraputic for me! They come in no particular order.

I had the car of my dreams, my MINI COOPER - our first ever brand new car

I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Breast Cancer

I fought and beat Stage 3 Breast Cancer

I beat depression in 2008 following therapy with a brilliant guy Dave Atkinson and for the first time in my life, accepted myself

I beat my disordered eating pattern

I lost all my hair!

I gave birth to my second son Harry Llewelyn in May 2001

9/11 and the aftermath

My son was diagnosed autistic and I fought for years to get help for him and I eventually did!

I re-trained as a dog groomer

I set up and ran a successful part time business as a dog groomer for 4 years until cancer struck

I have had my hair long, short and bald!

I learnt how to blog and opened up a whole new world of friendship

Tony Blair got kicked out of government - sadly, not before he did the country alot of damage

The unnecessary war in Afghanistan and loss of so many livesI met HM the Queen and Prince Philip when they visited Wrexham. What a charming couple!

I did the Race for Life in 2008 - my first ever race

I got back together with my dad

I started running seriously

I made a Digital Story about Harry to help teach those in authorities how hard it is for children like him

I got my eldest son through his "issues" and at the age of 9 he actually ate Pizza (mixed up food)

The list is endless but to sum it up... it has been a difficult decade for me in lots of ways. I have battled and conquered disordered eating and depression. I have had two children with special needs and I have dealt with them successfully. If they hadn't had me as a mum, they would be prisoners of their own disorder. I have battled cancer and come out the other side. I lived for 3 years with virtually no sleep because Harry was such a troubled sleeper. Despite it all..... I am HERE and I am ready, just ready to make the next decade count.

My Town Friday Shoot Out - Favourite Things

The theme for this weeks shoot out is "Favourite Things" but was described as the first Christmas theme. However, I couldn't do a shoot out about favourite things without including my new car, my Mini Cooper, my pride and joy, my baby..... Actually, Cooper is a sort of Birthday/Christmas present anyway so its right that he should be included in this weeks theme.

When thinking of what I should take pictures of to feature the theme, I was on my way into Wrexham town to take photos of the Christmas lights, when I stopped myself and ended up at the Grosvenor Garden Centre in Pulford just 3 miles from my home. Why? Well because whenever I think of Christmas and Christmas decorations, my mind always roams to this place. It has been an important store for me this year because on the days when I needed to get out or needed to buy a gift but didnt have the energy to venture far..... this store was my saviour!

The picture above is of the entrance into the Garden Centre. They always have such wonderful displays no matter what the time of year!

The decorations at the Grosvenor are in plentiful supply, you can buy just about anything you want from here. Fibre optic trees, false trees, real Christmas Trees, Christmas Wreaths, cuddly toys, Santa Stop Here Signs, Christmas food, Christmas gifts...... I could go on and on and on.

I love the models of Santa scattered around the store, some are even life sized.

Robins are my favourite birds because whenever I feel a bit down or sad about my late brother Peter, a Robin always seems to appear and cheer me up. I love these fat fellas in the pottery section of the store.

I adore Squirrels too..... not the grey ones but the endangered red ones. This ornament is so clever and I love it to bits.

You cannot celebrate Christmas without the Nativity scene and this is only one of the many types available to buy here.

Christmas is all about the children and I love that concept. This metal red fire engine is the sort of thing I would have loved to have bought my sons when they were toddlers but too expensive I am afraid!

This is a life sized Charley Bear! Anyone who knows me, knows just how much I love my collection of bears. My collection includes Herman, Merrythought, Steiff, Charley to name but a few and includes some vintage pieces.

Santas Grotto is always a special place with very fond memories. I remember Harry going to see Father Christmas when he was 3 and struggling to get away from him, crying!




Again, anyone who knows me knows how much I love my Chimineas. I really like these pottery ones but ours is metal because we decided it was more stable with having the dogs and children around.

If I had £200 to spare, this is what I would spend it on. I love this limited edition print. I love it not only because it is of a dog, but I love dogs noses (weird I know) and I love the concept of this picture.

So If you are ever in the area I would definately recommend that you visit The Grosvenor Garden Centre www.grosvenorgardencentre.co.uk because not only does it stock just about everything you need, the staff are really friendly and knowledgeable and the feel of the place is so special. I love shopping there.

They also have a grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat coffee shop called The Blue Planet and the produce home made pastries, cakes and food. Next time I go there I will take some pictures just so that you can see how special it is. The coffee is delicious and I must admit I spent a very pleasant couple of hours there this morning with my friend Clare.

What doesn't this shops stock? Garden furniture, garden appliances, garden plants, shrubs and trees, pottery, sheds, gifts, walking sticks, wellington boots, indoor plants, books, cards, confectionary, cakes, biscuits, eggs, meat, drinks, cutlery, kitchen implements...... the list is endless.

My Big Surprise!

Today, I collected my big surprise...... my mini cooper.

I learnt to drive in a Mini, passed my test in a Mini and my first car was a Mini. I was gutted when I had to part with it for practical reasons. When BMW took over the Mini name, I fell in love with the car, it became my dream car. I never thought in a million years that I would ever own one myself but with the year we have had, the fact that I have faced my own mortality we decided, "what the heck" and went ahead and ordered our first ever brand new car.

I love it!

It has USB, blue tooth, auto lights, auto wipers, climate control and the one I love the best.....heated windows! No more waiting for the car to de-mist or de-frost.

So there you have it....... my big surprise!

We recently bought a new bed, had fitted wardrobes put in and new carpets. This is part of the room. The crosses above my bed were given to me by my boys. They bought the hand crafted crosses from our church, said a prayer at the alter and then gave them to me when I was ill with my chemo. Jason mounted them and they go so well with our new decor. The large cream heart hanging from the door was given to me by Harry when I was losing my hair in an effort to cheer me up.

Life will never be the same, post cancer.