Back Again!

Back again after another break but I can't tell you how busy I am these days! The children are into their second week back at school and I am able to do all the things I am not able to when they are around.

The good news is that at my Weight Watchers weigh in last week, I lost 4lbs! I had to get on and off the scales 4 times before I would accept the reading and then I jumped up and down for joy, the other members must have thought I was bonkers. I am keeping on track with my diet and exercising alot. Rather than use my car I am walking or cycling and its amazing what an impact that has had on my weight loss.

Cola is wonderful! We took his rugs off last week. We still put his stable rug on at night because it tends to be chilly but during the day he is comando! You can tell the spring grass is coming through because he is totally fixated and is chomping at the bit to go out to grass rather than have his bucket feed which he normally enjoys.

The boys and I spent the weekend at my friends house on the top of a mountain. We camped in their back garden but oooh it was cold at night. Luckily I had quite a few glasses of red wine so the cold didn't get to me too much!

I have left my camara at my friends though so my blog will be pictureless for a while until I get it back unless I can find any appropriate pictures in my archives.

More herceptin on Wednesday; dose 10 out of 18 so I am over half way there.

I am part of the Secret Post club and I received my parcel last week which was so touching! However, I want to share the pictures with you before I tell you more and the picture is on my camara so you will have to bear with me for the next few days.

I Am Back!

Sorry I haven't been around much but I have been so busy arranging things for Cola and to be honest with you I had the worst case ever of chemo brain. By Friday my head was completely fuzzed, I wanted to cry but couldn't, I couldn't organise my thoughts, I was forgetting words mid sentence........ all of you who have had chemo know the score, I don't need to explain! Yesterday I spent the day scanning old photos so I have decided to share them because they are special. The above photo is of me aged 15 about to go away on a school trip.Going through the photos made me think alot really. First I thought "how old am I?" because I have had so many body shapes, hair do's and parties! I also felt really sad at the people and pets I have lost and that was quite difficult to deal with but I had some good memories too. The above photo is of me and my neice Emma Louise taken in 1991 - hard to believe that she is a full grown woman now about to have a baby of her own.

This is me aged a couple of weeks old. I remember that chair too. Mum had me at home and apparently I was an easy baby from day one. Wish I had had one of them!

This was taken in my back garden, I am the one with the long hair and the other girl is my best friend Karen Scott. We had such laughs together. This is the only photo I have of her and I really treasure it. Karen was killed in a car crash when she was 17. The first time ever her dad had not picked her up from the disco, she begged him to let her come home with her friends. Then the friends got into a car race on the industrial estate and the outcome was the death of a vibrant, kind, fun loving and beautiful girl.

I have had many parties in my life and this was a fun one, very well planned indeed! Yes we had party rules and we covered the carpets with plastic and stored the furniture - it was a fun party.

Taken in 1992 in Liverpool City my friend Julie and I having fun. My Swiss Italian friends came over for a week so we did alot of sight seeing and alot of silly things.

Can't Stop Being Cold

Yesterday we had the first frost of winter. I went to put a cabbage leaf into my recycling bin and it was frozen shut! Mind you, I am still feeling the cold quite severely. It is 6 degrees outside, growing temperature for grass but I am sitting here wearing a cami top, thick polo sweatshirt, a fleece and a woolly hat and I am only just starting to warm up. Could I still be suffereing from chemo chills? I know that the optician said that he could tell that my veins were affected by chemo because they were not working efficiently so could it really take 2 months to still get better?

Ah well...................................

I had more news of my big surprise this morning! Fingers crossed everyone, it will be arriving on Wednesday 18th November........ excited is NOT the word for it!


Had a great walk with the dogs today, I really love to see them pounding through the leaves even though Wilbur and Pickles come home resembling a forest with all mannor of leaves sticking to their hair! I am training Wilbur to come to the whistle because its the only way I can get his attention when he is on the trail of squirrels. It was especially nice today because there were no golfers around so we really did "fill our boots".


Stupid car the Renault Scenic is in the garage for yet more repairs, this time a broken shock exorber - must be all those speed bumps Wrexham council decide to put everywhere! A couple of weeks ago it was the alternator cable. I have never owned a Renault before and believe me, I will never own a Renault, ever, again! We ran an Escort, a Mondeo, a Micra, Fiesta and a Sunny all without half the expense this has cost us.


Moaning over! My new scan disk came this morning so at least I am able to take photographs again. Sad news is that we are still having problems recovering the photos taken on our recent holiday.


Update on Jules Peters. She was hoping to be released from hospital today but sadly she is having to stay in isolation for another week. Desperately hard for her and her family as she is missing her sons aged 5 and 3. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she has done so much to raise money and awareness of cancer.

Come for a walk with me and my dogs......

Please feel free to click on any of the photographs to enlarge, I have imported them as small pictures because there were so many. I apologise for the blurring and colour issues but it was quite difficult to take photographs with 3 naughty dogs in tow! So this is the start of our walk, coming out of Lavister Walks.

We enter onto Darland Lane. When we first moved to Lavister Walks almost 15 years ago, there were no houses on the left but now it is quite built up.

These are my walking companions. Left to right: Wilbur, Pickles and Poppy.

We pass lots of blackberry bushes on our walk, some blackberries have past their best but others are still waiting to ripen. I must pick some to make some blackberry brandy for Christmas, its really lovely and makes nice gifts for friends.

These are the out buildings of Gamford Farm, it used to be a pig farm but has stopped working for a long while now. There were animal abuse issues and the place was closed down thankfully. I used to be able to hear the pigs squealing from my house and it wasn't pleasant.

The old sign for the farm which is as decrepit as the building itself is becoming over the years.

We walk quite a way down the lane before we come to the first set of cottages which is called the area of Trevalyn. Very pretty cottages but I wouldn't like to live in one because alot of commuters use the lane as a short cut and I think they think it is a race track!

We leave Gamford Lane and re-enter Darland Lane. There are fields full of horses and ponies, this one whinnied at us and alarmed the dogs. At this point, Pickles is allowed off her lead because it is a very narrow and quiet lane and she is a good dog..... Wilbur and Poppy are not to be trusted!

Trevalyn Farm, a really old farm house which has recently been restored. They converted the barns and outbuildings into flats and houses presumably to raise money for the refurbishment. The development is sweet but I think it has robbed the old farm house of some of its character.

I could not pass this hedgrow without taking a picture because the berries were in abundance and so pretty.

Here are my PINK sheep! I think the farmer must have either been drunk when he marked these sheep or it was raining and the colour has run!

I found this freshly dug hole in the hedgrow. It kind of turns off to the right. Not sure what sort of animal it belongs to but probably a rabbit.

One of my favourite trees along Darland Lane. Ancient oaks. One could stare at this tree the entire day and still wonder at its beauty and find different patterns, textures and life.

Sloe Berries, great for making Sloe Gin. I usually pick lots of these, freeze them then use them for my gin, again, another nice Christmas gift for friends. These should be picked after the first frost but as the weather has changed here in recent years, I prefer to pick them and freeze them myself.

We are approaching Darland Woods now, Pickles is checking that we are going the right way. The woods are on the right.

Just what the dogs have waited for. This is the entrance to the woods where all of the dogs are allowed off their leads. I am climbing over the style at this point while they have bounced off to sniff some smells.

Poppy has been squirrel and duck hunting and is about to re-join her "pack".

Wilbur sporting his leather head collar because he pulls so badly, a headcollar is a great way to control him without pressing on his neck. He tends to cough easily so I am concerned about any restriction put around his neck.

As we passed the lake, the sun hit the leaves of this tree and it looked so pretty, I had to take a picture of it.

We leave Darland Woods at this point and enter the Golf Course. It is a "pay as you go" golf course and has been in existance for almost 10 years. I remember it when it was agricultural land and one would hardly meet anyone on this walk, now you bump into golfers and other dog walkers so it has lost some of its charm for me. At least the golf course are planting trees and enhancing the environment but they have culled all of the rabbits and I have found some disturbing mole traps.

The entrance of the golf course and the exit for us! This is where the dogs go back onto their leads for safety because the main road ahead has a tendancy to be extremely busy.

Here we are on the main Chester Road, about 5 minutes walk from home and the end of our walk. The dogs are tired and so am I! So, I treat myself to an iced latte (skinny of course) with a dash of vanilla essence..... blissful x

Friday Shoot Out - Doors and Windows

I was so excited about this project because it has given me the great opportunity to share Wrexham town with you together with my much loved Erddig Hall. So not much space for text with this shoot out. Above is Wilbur examining a fallen tree which looks rather like a doorway into another world (Erddig Hall Parklands).

NOTE: CLICK ON PHOTOS TO TAKEN A CLOSER LOOK!

This picture was taken from Argle Street, Wrexham town. During the Falklands War some graffittist changed the name to Argie Street. You can see the main High Street through the arcade and beyond, the Horse & Jockey Pub which is the only remaining thatched roof building in Wrexham town. The buildings and arcade were built as a dowry by local gentry.

The entrance of the Horse and Jockey Pub. You can tell how old the building is by the small height of the door. Mind your heads gentlemen!!!!!! It is still a very old and traditional pub. A usual "stop off" for football fans heading for the Racecourse to wath the Dragons (Wrexham FC).

This is the back entrance to Erddig Hall. Probably the "short cut" into the estate when one didn't want to use the more majestic way in. It was probably used by tradesmen and servants too. Notice the carvings on the stone. The picture was taken from Erddig Hall Parklands.

This picture was taken from Erddig Hall Parklands and this is rather an old "kissing gate" which allows entrance into the estate. Oh how it confused my poor dogs!!

Erddig Hall gardens are full of doors and windows. I was really excited to be able to share their beauty with you all. This picture was taken from the "Rose Garden" looking onto the "Formal Gardens".

This was the large gateway entrance from the "Formal Gardens" at the front of the house into the "Rose Gardens". Note the little cubby hole set in the wall which has been limed and has seats in. There are lots and lots of these dotted around the garden. I suppose it was for the owners to take breaks in their jaunts around the garden. A pleasurable experience if they were to the standards they are today.

A different aspect of the same view. You can see the cubby hole a little better and the windows on the outside buildings and those of the "Chapel" adjacent to Erddig Hall.

This is the main entrance to Erddig Hall. Look at all of those windows. Some windows to the side were bricked up when the government introduced tax on windows. If you look at the roof, you can see a small wall skirting the edge. This wall was built to hide the servants windows!

This is the entrance from the working yard of Erddig Hall into the "Formal Gardens" - so pretty.

The doorway from the Orchard and the working gardens which is now a car park. This leads you along a kitchen herb garden to the woodworking and blacksmiths yard.

View from the car park which was once the Orchard and Working Garden. This leads into the "Formal Garden" at the front of the house. I wonder if the small door in the big door is for the duck?

Wrexham Police Station taken from the Wrexham Car Park. The flat rooved building is the War Memorial Hall. Look at all those windows in that 1970's tower! I wouldn't like to clean them! It is structurally the tallest building in Wrexham but because St Giles Parish Church is built on a mound, it still stands above the Police HQ - which is right because the church was designed so that all could see it over the parish and be reminded of God.

The entrance to the Guildhall. Yes, Prince Charles and Princess Diana have stood on that balcony along with the Mayor and various other important people. I love this part of Wrexham because it takes me back to my childhood.

I remember this Butchers shop from when I was a little girl so its very old and you can tell. This is situated on Charles Street another old part of town. I always liked the Rossettes in the window.

Finally, I like the Old Registry Office; where you would register births, deaths and marriages. It has been re-homed on three occasions now. Just look at that pillared doorway and the old sash windows. The window glass is original too, you can tell by the way the sun catches it and you can see the imperfections.

I have so enjoyed this Friday Shoot Out!

Thank you all for visiting and any comments you might leave.

Friday Shoot Out - Reflections!

I do apologise in advance, I am not a good photographer and my camara is very basic but I try my best because this is such a fun project.

Warning over! The above photograph was taken at Speke Hall, Liverpool. The building is the Engine room, adjacent to the stable block. The puddle holds the reflection of the Engine Room.

This is one of my favourite places. Darland Woods. It is about 5 minutes walk from my house and I take my dogs there most days. The lake is natural and home to many ducks, moorhens and frogs! Once I was privelaged to find a whole colony of frogs mating - I counted 100 of them all looking at me and croaking.

You can see the sun reflecting on the water and the trees reflecting too.

Not such a clear photo but you can just make out the trees reflecting in the water.
Darland Woods changes constantly from season to season and I never cease to be amazed by it. I love the creatures who live there; badgers, foxes, owls, sparrow hawkes, grass snakes, frogs, toads, jays, woodpeckers, robins, rabbits and not to mention the wild flowers. Spring brings a blue hue of bluebells which are simply breathtaking, the wild garlic aroma is a joy to smell.

A garden shot....... again! This is the sun reflecting the shape of our pegola and Ivy.
We have a south facing garden so the pegola made by my husband gives us welcome shade. He even made some canopies! I grow honeysuckle, ivy and jasmine and the bees are very welcome!

This is a bit of a weird idea. My two dogs, Pickles and Wilbur, both miniature schnauzers. People always get them mixed up so here they are on the golf course walk a kind of reflection of each other.

Wilbur just had to get in on this shot! Mind you, he is like my shadow so he could be a reflection in himself ..... or is that cheating? Anyway, another reflection of my pegola and Ivy.

A challenging shoot out but great fun!