MOTORBIKES,DOGS AND RABBITS

clockwise from left: horse chestnut blossom, aqualiga,chive blossom,dog roses, and  a burnt-out tree from the back field

 

Hello Everyone,

I`m getting later and later with my daily entry. I must resolve to be earlier tomorrow! It was another busy day in what I think may be a busy week. Firstly I had a hairdressers appointment at 10am to get my roots done.  I wish my hair would go grey because then my roots wouldn`t look as bad. How is it possible to be 53 with very little grey stuff?  As it is every six weeks when they are due to be done I look rather like a skunk, or being English, should I say a badger !

I got home about 12 noon to find that my favourite magazine had been delivered, and Jake was bouncing about and hovering near the drawer where his collar and lead are kept. No prizes for guessing what he wanted and what he got. I just gave him a shortish stroll as it was far too hot to take him very far, and then we both settled down in the garden, me with my coffee and Jake with his head on my lap.

I then decided to do some washing as the weather is so nice. Then I played some Bookworm, got beaten almost straight away, sulked...lol.!  And then read some journals.

When Jim got home just after 4pm, it was a bit cooler , so armed with Jake`s water bottle, we set off for Upton Park, forgetting the schools are out, so there were lot`s of kids there.  Unfortunately, there were a group of young boys, not more than 14, who were riding motor bikes across the grass, each bike with 2 riders! Not one of them wore a crash helmut and other people , including other children, were having to run for cover.  We went round the other way but it does make me cross that kids that young are able to have these motorbikes at all.  There is a motorcross centre in the park that teaches most of these lads how to ride properly. They wear the correct riding gear and are supervised all the times.  But these boys were just being stupid. I just hope that no-one gets hurt.

Later Jake got into some long grass which he adores. We stood there watching him as his head disappeared from view and all we could see was his tail wagging furiously. He had definetely found something and it wasn`t long before we found out what.  Suddenly we saw something break away from where his tail was......a rabbit...so now we know what he`d found, a rabbit warren!  Eventually when he realised the other bunnies weren`t coming out to play, he gave up and reluctantly came over to us. It was then that I first smelt it...fox!  He did smell terrible....  We walked further into the woody area where there is a stream, he jumped in and thrashed about and we thought he`d be fine after that.  How wrong we were...he was far worse!  When we got home it was out into the garden to dry off and then to get sprayed with Evening Primose Oil finishing spray, with has a lovely perfume, but I reckon he prefers Eau de Fox. :-)

Tomorrow morning I will probably be visiting a friend, and then we`ll take Jake out . I won`t see much of Jim tomorrow as he has a firefighting course to attend and won`t be home until much later.  Hopefully I won`t be going anywhere else tomorrow, or have any visitors...but then it could all change by tomorrow!

Before I go, I would like you dog owners to give me some advice.  Jake has a very delicate stomach and I can`t seem to get it right with his food. Any tips on what might be a good diet for him?  I know he`s not ill just sensitive, so I need suggestions please!  Bye for now and enjoy the rest of your day. :-)

 

~  If you slowly pour a handful of salt into a totally full glass of water, it will not overflow.  In fact, the water level will go down.  ~

~  Hot water freezes faster than cold water.  ~

~  In a scientific study, children were told to imagine that they were wearing heavy mittens. The temperature of their fingertips went up.  ~

~  St John was the only one of the 12 apostles to die a natural death.  ~

~  Most of the villains in the Bible have red hair.  ~

~  Pope Paul IV was so outraged when he saw the naked bodies on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel thatthat he ordered Michelangelo to paint garments on them.  ~

 

 

HOLIDAY MONDAY

Hello Everyone....

I`m even later getting online today. It`s just been so hectic that I just haven`t had time. This morning Jim finished the brick part of the wall, he is going to get some white concrete blocks to go along the top to finish it off properly.  Then it`s time to get on with the patio slabs.  I`ll take another photo once the wall is complete and then another at the end of the job. I think he`s done a great job, and so does Jake, who this morning sat and stuck his head on it just gazing into space!  Later we took Jake for his walk and this time I took the camera. I got some lovely pics of him in the back field, see above.  I`ll put some others in a collage and post them tomorrow. 

This afternoon we went out for a drive round to a few fishing lakes.  Jim wanted to show his mate Steve, the best places to fish. If I`d realised how lovely the area was I`d have taken the camera. Near Farlowes lake, there is the river |Colne, and it is particularly shallow at one point.  In fact it is so shallow you could just walk through it to the other side and just get your ankles wet, but, if you look downstream the water picks up speed and little rapids can be seen.  It was so beautiful that Steve remarked that we never really know how much beauty we have on our own doorsteps...how true.

When we got back home, Kerry arrived to have dinner with us and stayed until 7.00pm, giving me time to read the journals and answer my email...well some of them at least! So I`d better go and do that right now. I hope you`ve all had a lovely day. Take care and Bye for now...:-)

 

~  The years a woman subtracts from her age are not lost.  They are added to other women`s.  ~

Diane De Poitiers

~  When women pass thirty, they first forget their age; when forty, they forget they ever remembered it. ~

Ninon De Lenclos

~  Man is old when he begins to hide his age; woman when she begins to tell hers.  ~

Oscar Wilde

~  I was born in 1962,true. And the room next to me was 1963.  ~

Joan Rivers

~  My wife never lies about her age. She just tells everyone she`s as old as I am. The she lies about my age.  ~

J.K.N.

 

GHOST STORY

 

Ludlow Castle

THE GHOST OF MARION DE LA BRUYERE

LUDLOW CASTLE AND CHURCHYARD, SHROPSHIRE,ENGLAND

12TH CENTURY ONWARDS

 

 

Ludlow Castle lies on the border of England and Wales.  It was the last to surrender to Parliament forces in 1646.  The castle dates from the 11th century but the haunting only dates back to the days of Henry II, when the castle was in the midst of many border skirmishes.  One of the occupants was Marion de la Bruyere, who had a lover who sided with the enemies of those in the castle.  One night when the castle`s custodian, Joce de Dinan, was absent, she lowered a rope so he could visit her. On this particular evening he did not pull the rope up after him, but left it hanging, allowing 100 men to climb up, open the gates and take the castle.  When she realised she had been used and betrayed, she killed her lover with his own sword and then jumped to her death from the walls of the Hanging Tower, onto the rocks below.

        

The Hanging Tower                                           

Although her ghost was seen for many years, below the tower where she met her death, walking among the, now ruined castle, all that is now is the sighing or breathing which seems to be coming from the tower itself .  This could be the knight who betrayed Marion, or her own as she killed him.

A local resident has heard the sounds on many occasions and has said the noises could be those of someone in a deep sleep, but they are so clear and loud that they seem to come from the top of the battlements.  On first hearing the sounds, the man took his wife to the castle without telling her of them and, on arriving below the castle she mentioned the strange noise which seemed to come from the castle.  The same, although hearing the same sound on many occasions, had never found any rational explaination for them and has discounted  the noise of the wind or that of nesting birds.

The parish church at Ludlow is also said to be haunted. A tall, elderly woman, wearing a long, drab robe, has been seen outside the rectory, and strange footseps have been heard by some people living nearby.  The same figure has been seen walking around the graveyard.

 

~  People spend two weeks of their life kissing.  ~

~  People spend more than five years of their lives dreaming.  ~

~  A typists left hand does 56 per cent of the work.  ~

~  The average driver will be locked out of their car nine times during their lifetime.  ~ 

~  When asked for a colour , 3 out of 5 people say red.  ~

~  The cashew nut is a member of the poison ivy family.  ~

~  Strawberries are a member of the rose family.  ~

~ Most orchids are bisexual.  ~

~ There are 10 million bacteria in a litre of milk; that`s equivalent to the population of Greece.  ~

 

                                             

 

MAN AT WORK

Hello Everyone,   I`m cross with myself....... I forgot to take my camera with me to the park.  There were so many photo opportunities to be had too....so yes, I`m very cross with myself!   We met up with our friends M and M and Marshall the GSD at the park, and the two dogs ran straight over, obviously overjoyed to see each other...that`s when I realised I had left the thing at home !   

 I decided to take this photo of Jim building the brick wall for the edge of the patio area he is building.  I didn`t ask him if he minded but I`ll let him read the entry later when he isn`t covered in dust and mortar.  He has wanted to do this for a long time even though he hasn`t done any bricklaying before.  But he has done his `homework` and is taking things very carefully as usual....he has to get things just right, and I`m really proud of him for doing it.  

The chinese meal was lovely.  Mr. Lai`s was not as busy as usual and the air-conditioning was very welcome too.  They have stopped the music and entertainment though because they say it costs too much to pay the DJ.  But never mind, the food was great, we had prawn toast, spring rolls , crispy duck pancakes, egg-fried rice, spicy beef with vegetables, lemon chicken  ( VERY yummy!), sweet and sour pork with vegetables and prawn crackers.  The whole meal was a set price each, £10 or approx $15.  We all had a nice evening with great chat with lots of laughs.  We`ll do it again, somewhere else in about a months time.  It`s so nice to be able to leave the men behind and us women going out together.                                           

The weather yesterday was somewhere in the 80`s. It`s cooler today thankfully but very windy again.  I do hope the sunshine will last at least until tomorrow just so Jim can finish the wall.  His mate, S, has come round to give him a hand , which is really nice of him.  Two pairs of hands should make life easier! Kerry came over to peg some washing on the line, she then decided to come walking with us and then on for luch at the garden centre cafe.  While there we met a couple of friends that we haven`t seen for at least four years.  It was so lovely to see them and to hear how their family are.  They were sad to learn that we`d lost Hannah, (our old lab) but very pleased to hear about Jake, and they want to meet him. They haven`t seen Kerry since she was about  22 and had just got her first singing job on the cruise ship, and they couldn`t belive she was now married with a baby on the way.  How time flies by, where does it go?   We have agreed to look after Marshal when M and M go on holiday in the future. It will be a mutual arrangement as they will have Jake sometimes too.  We always looked after their old lab Barney, who was a really big lab, but a great softy too. Our house was like his second home, and he fitted in well with Hannah and Rosie ( our Basset hound) As Jake and Marshall are such great friends it makes total sense.  

 I think that`s it for today. Enjoy a restful weekend,  Bye Bye and take care. :-)    

 

~  About 75 per cent of the people in the US live on 2 per cent of the land.  ~  

~  In the vast majority of the world`s languages, the word for `mother` begins with the letter `m`.~  

~  Mexico City has more taxis than any other city in the world.  ~  

~  85 per cent of international telephone calls are conducted in English.  ~

~  The largest toy distributor in the world is McDonald`s.  ~

~  The average person drinks 70,000 cups of coffee in a lifetime.  ~

~  After a 3 week holiday, your IQ can drop by as much as 20 per cent.  ~

~  In the course of a lifetime, the average person spends about two years on the phone.  ~  

    

FRIDAY FRIVOLITIES!

                  Hello everyone, and welcome to this very hot and humid Friday. It really is hot and the forecast says we`d better make the most of it because it won`t last.  Well of course not as this is England and our weather never lasts very long, not the good weather anyway.  Though the year before last we had a scorching heatwave where it was unbearable just to walk outside.  I remember dreading the thought of going to work in our non air-conditioned office. I thought I would melt away from the heat. Going to work was dreadful, as the moment I got into my little car it was like stepping inside an oven. Now we do have a forecast of more of the same in July and August, I do hope not but I am really glad that I won`t be working all summer.  I also worry about Kerry , for the same reasons that Jeannette worries about her daughter. Being pregnant is never much fun in summer, but if the temperature soars, they really do suffer.  

I spent the morning shopping with kerry. Jim decided not to go and left us to our own devices...sensible really as men are no fun when you are shopping. Kerry treated me to coffee and cake in Marks & Spencer, their cappuchinos are the best I`ve ever tasted and their lemon drizzle cake yummy!  Kerry treated herself to a comfy pair of sandals for her poor suffering feet...she changed into them straight away...bless her!  

This afternoon I`ve decided to take it easy as I`m off out for the chinese meal tonight. I`m really looking forward to it. I`ll order a taxi for 7.30pm, collect B en route and then on to the restaurant, Mr. Li`s. It has a good reputation for food and entertainment and is reasonably priced too, what a great combination. What more could we want?  

Tomorrow I`m taking the camera outwhen we take Jake for hiswalk. I need Jim with me when I take the camera as I can`t hold Jake and snap away at the same time. I`m going to have a nice quiet weekend, I hope.  I have to be careful when I say things like that as it often turns out nothing like that and a thousand friends and relatives descend on us at once...lolol!   So for now, I will take my leave of you. I hope you all have smashing weekend, take care and relax...Bye for now :-)    

 ~  The Christmas holidays are the busiest time in plastic surgeons` offices.  ~  

~  In Turkey the colour for mourning is violet.  In most Muslim countries and in China the colour is white. ~  

~  In China the bride wears red.  ~  

~  40 per cent of people who come to a party in your home have a look in your medicine cabinet.  ~  

~  One in every eight boss-secretary romances ends in marriage.  ~  

~  People who work at night tend to weigh more than people who work during the day.  ~  

~  6 per cent of American men propose marriage by phone.  ~  

~  There`s an average of 178 sesame seeds on a Big Mac bun.  ~  

    

BUSY,BUSY,BUSY!

                       Hello everyone....I`ve just enough time to post an entry. I have such a full day today, that I`ve hardly had time to breathe.  Kerry got home safely but rather frazzled last evening. She had to endure an uncomfortable flight home sitting next to a couple of men who were arguing with each other for most of the flight.  Then she said, the one next to her was reading his paper with his elbows jutting into her. Then when it was time to get off the plane, the two men pushed past her with no regard for her condition.  Later while awaiting her luggage, again she had no help retrieving her case either. She told me that she didn`t realise just how bad some peoples manners are, she didn`t just mean because of her pregnancy but to other people in general.  Thankfully though, she did manage and has now caught up on her sleep.  I will tell you about her visit another day, needless to say she had a lovely time over there.  

This morning I went to the hospital physiotherapy unit and had some ultrasound treatment on my elbow.  It felt really good at the time and I have to go again next week.  Hopefully a course of this will get me back to full mobility and a painfree existence, hand-wise....we shall see!   I did go onto the computer later this morning and read some journals and play a couple of games.  I decided to buy the full deluxe version of Bookworm.  I really love it and know I will play it even more now.  Later Kerry was back with lots of wet washing to hang outside.  Then we both sat outside with our coffees and ham and pickle baguettes and had a long chat.  We haven`t seen each other for four days so there was much for mother and daughter to talk about!  

Later on this afternoon, I went out with my friend B. We went to the garden centre cafe and had coffee and cake, AND another good chat, we sat in the outside part of the cafe surrounded by the lovely flowers. We were sitting there for an hour and a half.  After looking around at the plants and buying a couple from the bargain section, we went round to visit her boyfriend and sat in his garden while we let him make the coffee!  I eventually got home at 5.30, just in time to feed a hungy looking Jake and to put something in the oven for my tea.  Then it was back on the computer until it was time for Jake`s walk.  It was so warm that Jake, with all his usual enthusiasm, didn`t bother to pull on the lead the way he usually does.  It was nice to walk as the sun was going down, with a nice cool breeze blowing. Apparently we are in for a very warm night. I can`t complain though, after constantly moaning about the cold weather.  

 Well that was my day.  It started at 6.45am, and I`m really tired. Tomorrow I have to be up at the same time as Jim and I have to go into town  ! Anyway have a great day and take care. Bye for now !  

 

  ~  90 per cent of women who enter a department store immediately turn right. No one knows why.  ~  

 ~  Tuesday is the most productive day of the working week.  ~  

 ~  908,000 US one-dollar bills weigh exactly one ton.  ~  

~  The average woman uses about 6 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime.  ~  

 ~  There has never been a sec-change operation in Ireland.  ~  

 ~  90 per cent of movies produced in the United States are porn films.  ~  

 ~  Couples who marry in January, February or March have the highest

divorce rate.  ~    

 

 

       

WARMER WEDNESDAY

 

Pink azalea with colours inverted

Hello Everyone.....it`s Wednesday at last,  Kerry`s coming home....  yippee!  Jim will be collecting her from the airport at around 6pm.  Her flight lands at Heathrow at 5.20 and she will call us when she can.  We only live 20mins away so he`ll just jump in the car and go and get her.  I`m going to make her a nice dinner , as much as she likes Russian food, it`s not quite like a western diet and very different from what we are used to.  Danny told us that when he was there for Kerry`s wedding he hardly ate at all.  Cold cabbage, beetroot and mayonnaise soup didn`t exactly tempt his appetite.  It isn`t possible to drink the water as there is so much bacteria, parasites and `heavy metals` in it.  Read into that what you will! 

The weather has improved very slightly today, though still very windy it is a bit warmer, and the forecast for Friday is for very warm weather indeed....hmm..we shall have to wait and see.  I decided after taking Jake for his walk, that I would have my morning coffee sitting on the garden bench.  I just love sitting there, weather permitting as it is so peaceful and I can just relax and look around, usually with Jake`s head firmly in my lap!  I can`t wait for the jasmines and summer clematis`s to flower.  As most of the plants in the garden are fairly young, it will be a couple of years before we see them at their best.  Still, I can wait, it is something for me to look forward too, as long as Jake doesn`t get it into his head to dig them up!

Last evening, I came downstairs because I could hear a loud crunching noise. I found Jake with what was left of a small garden ornament in his mouth.  It WAS a little badger that sat in an outside planter....not any more it`s not, it was almost beyond recognition. In fact I`m surprised that he didn`t break any teeth......daft animal!

I`m off now as Jim is home and Jake is ready for another walk.  Have a great day and take care.

~  Cornflakes were originally fed to lunatics to curb their sex drive - starchy cereals were thought to lower libidos.  ~

~  Since 1983, leprosy has no longer been grounds for divorce in Greece.  ~

~  The most common fatal natural disaster is to be struck by lightening- worldwide, at least one person a day is killed this way.  ~

~  You`d need 140,000 ladybirds to fill a gallon pot.  ~

~  Humans have as many hairs as gorillas, and women as many as men.  It is the darkness and thickness that varies.  ~

~  It is illegal to chain a alligator to a fire hydrant in the state of Michigan.  ~

 

FLOWER POWER AND BOOKS

Deciduous Azalea  "Golden Embers"

Weigela

 

Hello everyone.... I hope you are all having a lovely day. What started out here as another awful day weather wise, has turned into a sunny, warm but very windy one.  Perfect for drying all my washing outside.  I had to take a couple of photos of my flowers. The azalea has now flowered (see above) and has the prettiest flowers. It really lives up to it`s name!  The other is a photo of the weigela that I have edited with Kodak Easyshare.  Jim is much better today after being quite unwell yesterday. His `cold` seemed more like `flu yesterday as he was feverish and achy all day, and even called work and told them he just wasn`t fit.  He does however, have a really bad cold, but as he says he can live with that, now that the aches and fever have gone, and he intends to go back to work tomorrow. He is grateful to everyone who hopes he will be better soon..:-)

I have started reading a new book. It`s called `The Last Family in England` by Matt Haig.  It came recommended to me and it is most unusual.  It is a story of a family who are going through the motions of being happy and it is all told through the eyes of the family`s black labrador Prince.  Without giving away the story, I will say that it a story of betrayal, humour, deep sadness without being sentimental. I find it compelling reading and it is hard to separate Prince from Jake.  This morning when I got up I went straight to Jake and gave him a big cuddle, while thinking all the time of a passage I read last night.  I just know this story will not have a happy ending....sob!  I do say though, if you like reading, and if you know anything about Shakespeare eg. Henry IV part 1, then give this book a try. Falstaff and Hotspur are both there.

I`ve just had to mess around to get the photo of the book.  Thank goodness for digital cameras though.  What did I do without them ?

The sunny day I was talking about just a while ago is now looking decidedly black...my fault for being so smug over a little show of sun!  Kerry is due home tomorrow evening, and so far everything has gone well for her.  It won`t be easy for her however, leaving Slava behind for a month.  I hope she will be ok on the flight home, as she won`t be able to get into business class this time.  She will be happy as long as she gets an aisle seat and can stand up from time to time.   Yesterday afternoon, my friend B called me and we now have plans to go for a chinese meal on friday night. I`ll ask Kerry if she wants to come, as there will be a friend of B`s that I don`t know ,and I`m sure we`ll have a good night.  I haven`t been out for a while and I`m looking forward to it.

Thats about it for today, but enjoy your day and take care of yourselves.......and now some trivia.......:-)

 

~  A citizen of the UK is most likely to be shot in November. Why this is so is unclear.  You are most likely to drown, for obvious reasons, in July, though no-one knows why fatal-fall deaths peak in December. perhaps it is as a result of putting up the Christmas decorations?  ~

~  One ounce of cress contains enough cyanide to kill two mice.  ~

~  Alaska is the only US state which can be typed on a single line of a typewriter keyboard.  ~

~  Only one bachelor has been elected US President.  James Buchanan, in 1857.  His niece, Harriet lane, served as his first lady.  ~

~  The banana is not a true fruit; it is a berry.  ~

~  Giraffes cannot cough or swim.  ~

~  Even before his head was cut off, King Charles 1 was only 4ft 7in.  ~

~  There is enough energy in the daily flatulent output of a single sheep to power a small truck for 25 miles.  ~

 

THE LOST VILLAGE

 

Hello everyone,  I`ve wanted to do this posting since last year but as I had very few readers it didn`t seem worth it. TYNEHAM is a village in DORSET, ENGLAND, that was sacrificed for the war effort in 1943. Jim and I have been going to Dorset every year for quite some time, but have never visited . Perhaps this year we will go and see for ourselves.

 

THE LOST VILLAGE OF TYNEHAM

Tyneham is a small village in the valley below Whiteway Hill. It is no ordinary village, but one where time has all but stood still. There was a time when Tyneham was populated, the villagers going about there day to day lives just like anybody else.

   a village house

Then in 1943, the villagers all recieved letters telling them to leave their homes for the duration of the war.  They were promised they would go back as soon as it was safe to do, but that promise never came to fruition and they never lived there again.  It is still Ministry of Defence land, as indeed is all of the surrounding area. The only access to Tyneham is some weekends when there is no firing practice on the ranges.  Locals and tourists alike are used to hearing the the loud booming of exploding shells over a wide area across the Isle of Purbeck, as the army carry out their manouvres.

Now the village lies in ruins except for the church, and the old schoolhouse that is preserved as it was left all those years ago. The names of pupils are still written over their coat pegs, their work still on their desks.

 The old Schoolhouse

It is a eerie feeling walking around the village, haunted by times gone by and time stood still.  The houses, the laundrey cottages and the rectory are all in ruins.  Many of them are now too dangerous to walk into and there is no public access allowed.

  Tyneham Post Office

A walk out of the village leads to the ruins of Tyneham Farm and the old farmlands where sheep still graze, leading on to the ruins of Sea Cottage and the secluded beach of Worbarrow Bay.

The War Department Letter

In mid-November 1943 residents received an unexpected letter from a Major-General at the War Department. It read:

In order to give our troops the fullest opportunity to perfect their training in the use of modern weapons of war, the Army must have an area of land particularly suited to their special needs and in which they can use live shells.  For this reason you will realise the chosen area must be cleared of all civilians.

The most careful search has been made to find an area suitable for the Army`s purpose and which, at the same time, will involve the smallest number of persons and property.  The area decided on, are the most careful study and consultation between all the Government Authorities concerned, lies roughly inside of the square formed by East Lulworth-East Stoke-East Holme-Kimmeridge Bay.

Then handwritten: including your properties

It is regretted that, in the National Interest, it is necessary to remove you from your homes, and everything possible will be done to help you, both by payment of compensation, and by finding accomodation if you are unable to do so yourself.

The date on which the military will take over this area is the 19th December next, and all civilians must be out of the area by that date.

A special office will be opened at Westport House, Wareham, on Wednesday 17th November, and you will be able to get advice between the hours of 10am and 7pm, from there on your personal problems and difficulties . Any letters should be sent to that address also for the present.

The Government appreciate that this is no small sacrifice which you are asked to make, but they are sure that you will give this further help towards winning the war with a good heart.

C.H. Miller

Major-General   i/c Administration

Southern Command

 

 

RAINY DAYS AND SUNDAYS!

OOPS!.............!

Hello everyone,

 I`m having a hectic Sunday so far. The time has just run away with me and the day is nearly over.   When I woke up this morning the day looked promising weather-wise, I had lots of ironing to do (groan), so after breakfast and showering, I got on with it and as I thought the sooner I start the sooner I finish.  When I was halfway through Jim told me we were supposed to meet some friends in Upton Park for dog-walking.  So I had to drop everything and quickly dry my hair before we had to rush off.......I do hate rushing!!!

Well we did have a lovely walk round, Jake played with our friends` German Shepherd puppy , Marshall.  They are great friends and ran around together for over an hour and a half, by which time the sky was looking very dark and threatening and we all decided to make for home before the heavens opened. Jake seemed glad to be home where he quickly settled down and had a well earned sleep.  Whilst we left him to it and went off for some lunch.  Again we went to the garden centre cafe, and again Jim bought another azalea, this time a deep cerise pink colour. 

It was about this time that Jim started to complain of a sore throat, and by the time we got home he was sneezing and he said he wasn`t feeling very well at all.  It seems he has my cold..........not that I passed it on deliberately, you understand ! lol  

Later this afternoon Danny came round again, this time for Sunday dinner. We`ve seen him twice in one weekend...amazing, first was Saturday night, when he needed to talk to Jim, and again today. I think he misses Slava, as they always go out for a drink together and he won`t see him for another month.

I had another bad night with my arm hurting a lot.  I`m just so fed up with the whole thing now. Yesterday my appointment for the Nerve Conduction test came through for the 6th June, so I don`t have long to wait for it, though I`m not looking forward to it as it hurt when they did it last time, but it has to be done!

Kerry rang this afternoon. She is thoroughly enjoying her trp to St Petersburg, she says it is really hot over there.  Also,  she is being spoiled by her mother-in-law Nadia, who has been out buying presents for her first grandchild.  Their flight over to Russia was very good and the staff fussed over Kerry as if she was a VIP passenger with her precious cargo!  She did almost pass out during take off but she was better quite soon, though I can`t help but worry about her.  She told me she has taken her camera, but she will leave it with Slava until he comes home, but I will get a set of photos , scan them and put them in my journal at a later date.

Hmph.....Greece won the Eurovision Song Contest, and we were second from last. I`m not surprised as all the voting always seems to be about who is the country closest to your borders, not the best song, most of which were complete rubbish, but there again, that`s Eurovision, and that`s what it`s all about!

Before I go, for LISA,  A brollie is a British slang word for umbrella !  Right now I`m off to play some games before I watch some TV.  Take care and have lovely day.  :-)

 

ASTRONOMY TRIVIA

~  Buzz Aldrin`s mother`s maiden name was Moon.  ~

~ The Sun is 93 million mies from Earth, which is 270 times closer than the nearest star.  ~

~  When the Americans sent a man into space, they spent a million dollars developing a pen that could write upside down in conditions of zero gravity. The Russians used a pencil.  ~

~  It would take about two thousand years to walk to the Sun.  ~

~  Since the Moon has no atmosphere, footprints left there by astronauts will remain visible for at least ten million years.  ~

~  All the planets in our solar system could be placed in the planet Jupiter.  ~

~  If you take one pound of cobwebs and spread them in one straight line, it will go twice around the earth.  ~

~  Neutron stars are so condensed that a fragment the size of a sugar cube would weigh as much as all the people on Earth altogether.  ~

 

A SPLASHING SATURDAY!

Hello everyone, welcome to a wet and windy Saturday!  I`ve posted this dismal photo of our garden with the furniture all covered up, a very different scene from last Sunday when I posted the photo of Jim sitting at the table with a glass of beer, the parasol shading him from the hot sun.  We do need the rain of course, but the timing of the rain could be better. Like perhaps, NOT pouring with rain when we were out with Jake ( we were soaked through despite waterproof clothing, brollies etc. !) , NOT pouring down even harder when I`m driving down all ready flooded country roads !  Would you believe it, just as I`m typing the sun has shone through as if to say ` Hey look, I`m here,`  Well, I have to say  ` To late, mate!`  We went to the garden centre cafe for lunch and on the way out we looked at the `reduced` section.  Jim bought an azalea that was reduced to £2.99, just a third of the original price.  It is the second one he`s bought from that section and the other one is doing very nicely already.

This afternoon, while trying to resize the above photo, I couldn`t work out why it wouldn`t get any smaller despite using my usual program.  Then I realised.... I had put it in a frame and then tried to resize it...! No wonder, because it wasn`t going to reduce the pixels of a frame was it ?  So I just removed the frame and reduced it without any more problems.  I could still have framed it but I`d had enough of that for one day and posted it as it was.

Today is the F.A. Cup Final between Arsenal and Manchester United.  I was watching with Jim, hoping that our team, Arsenal, would win.......but they have been doing so badly so I`ve given up and left him to it.  They`ll never win like that......Oh well, it`s only a game!  I don`t usually watch much football but I like to watch the Final, but from what I`ve seen today I`ll stick to my computer for entertainment.

That`s my news for today, which isn`t much unfortunately, but I hope you all have a smashing weekend, sunnier and drier than it is here. Bye for now....:-)

 

ALLEDGEDLY GENUINE RESPONSES GIVEN BY MOTHERS TO THE CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY ASKING FOR FATHERS` DETAILS

"  Regarding the identity of the father of my twins, child A was fathered by [ name given]. I am unsure as to the identity of the father of child B, but I believe he was concieved on the same night.  "

"  I don`t know the identity of the father of my daughter.  He drives a BMW that now has a hole made by my stiletto in one of the door panels. Perhaps you can contact BMW service stations to see if he`s had it replaced.  "

"  I have never had sex with a man. I am awaiting a letter from the Pope confirming that my son`s conception was immaculate.  "

"  I cannot tell you the identity of child A`s father as he informs me that to do so would blow his cover and that would have cataclysmic implications for the British economy. I am torn between doing right by you and right by the country. "

 

FEELING BETTER FRIDAY

 Hello everyone, and welcome to Friday`s edition of Sandras Scribbles.  I`m feeling really upbeat today, everything seems to make me smile.  I think it must be that my cold is on the wane and I`m feeling lots better.  I`m still coughing a lot but my head and nose are feeling much better.  I think it must be down to the good wishes of all of you lovely people who have wished me well.  In fact, it`s probably just a coincidence, but my health in general, has been very good since I started my journal.

Kerry has reached Russia safely.  She sent me a text message on arrival saying she had a good flight and would call me tomorrow.  I am happy now I know she is safe. Jim spoke to the captain and arranged for her and Slava to be upgraded to business class, so at least she had a comfortable seat and better food.   I hope she takes some photos of her visit, but if not I will tell you all about her visit anyway.

Today was Jake`s first day with his `lampshade` and he was allowed off the lead for the first time.  he was so excited that he ran around the field so fast that he nearly ran into me.   He really does reach quite a speed and when I saw him powering towards me I knew all I could do was to drop to the ground.  If I hadn`t I dread to think what he might have broken when he hit me.  As it was the worst I got were wet patches on my jeans and Jim laughing his head off at the sight of me kneeling on the wet grass!  We didn`t come across another dog today so we atill don`t know if Jake will be beaten up in the park anymore or not.  I think tomorrow will tell as we are going to Upton Park where lots of dogs go for their morning constitutions.

The weather hasn`t been too good today. It was raining all night and this morning and today is weekend wash day. But I`ve got the lot dry now as the first half went in the tumbledryer.  Later the sun came out and it was still very windy, so out went the wash ,and so far it has stayed that way, drying everything for me!  I haven`t looked at the weekend forecast but I`ll bet it`s not going to be any better than it is now.  A friend of mine from Lincolnshire told me that they are having a mini heatwave and they have fans on all round the house !

Well , that`s all for today. I have lots more journals to read still, Have a lovely weekend all of you. Take care, bye for now :-)

 

GENUINE THINGS WRITTEN BY DRIVERS ON INSURANCE FORMS

"  I didn`t think the speed limit applied after midnight. "

" I knew the dog was possessive about the car but I would not have asked her to drive it if i thought there was any risk. "

" I consider neither car was to blame, but if either one was to blame, it would be the other one."

" I knocked over a man. He admitted it was his fault as he had been run over before."

" I remember nothing after passing the Crown Hotel until I came to and saw PC Brown."

" Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don`t have."

" I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way."

" In my attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telegraph pole."

" The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intentions."

 

THURSDAYS THOUGHTS

                   

Hello everyone,  I know I`m late posting today but I`m still ailing with this rotten head cold that just won`t budge and my brain seems to be working slower than normal !  I should be resting as it is always the best way to recover, but not being one to take my own advice I carry on regardless, taking Jake out when my head is spinning round and round, doing lots of spring-cleaning that could really wait till later.  Tonight I`ll go to bed early and hopefully I`ll sleep better than the last two nights. I even dreamt last night that I ran the London Marathon and completed it in 2 hrs.  I might just be able to run ONE mile, let alone 26!

This afternoon I took Jake to have his stitches removed and guess what ?  he was as good as gold, he didn`t even murmur.  We just got him to lay on his side while Dominic our vet,  snipped away with the surgical scissors.  Then Dominic told me that he is leaving...I was stunned.......he is the best vet we have ever had.  Brilliant with animals and always explains things properly but in easy to understand language, just what is needed in a job like that. He was the vet who cared for Hannah right through until the end. He is a lovely bloke and he will be much missed by all the clients and staff.

Kerry came round to say goodbye before going home to pack for Russia.  They have to get up very early tomorrow to get to the airport.  Jim offered to take them but he leaves for work to early for them.  He will be picking Kerry up from the airport when she arrives home on Wednesday evening.

Last night we had friends round for the evening.  It was nice to see them because it perked me up, as I was feeling so poorly.  It took my mind off being ill for a while.  We chatted until about 10pm when we had to part company as Jim can`t stay up any later when he`s on early shift as he has to be at work for 5am.  I don`t know how he does it, that time of day doesn`t exist for me!

Well that`s enough from me tonight.  I hope you`ve had a good day, and for my American friends I hope you HAVE a good day!  Bye for now  :-)

 

MORE TRIVIA

~  A pig`s snout is called a `gruntle`.  ~

~  A puff of smoke, such as that produced when someone smokes a pipe, is called a `lunt`.  ~

~  The symbol # is called an `octothorpe`.  ~

~  Illegible handwriting is known as `griffonage`.  ~

~  The act of stretching and yawning is `pandiculation`.  ~

~  1/100th of a second is called a `jiffy`.  ~

~  A `dzo` is the offspring of a yak and a cow.  ~

~  A cat`s whiskers are called `vibrissae`.  ~

~  A `geep` is the offspring of a sheep and a goat.  ~

NB  There is no single word for the back of the knee  ~

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DANIEL

Hello everyone!  Today is my son Danny`s 28th birthday.  At this moment 28 years ago he was just 3 hours old.  He came round to see me at lunchtime with his girlfriend, armed with a giant cake she had made for him.  It is a three-layered fresh cream gateau with almonds, strawberries and chocolate flakes adorning the top.  He has left half of it here, some for me and Jim, and the rest for Kerry and Slava.

I`ve had a piece already and it is gorgeous, but very rich.  So  HAPPY BIRTHDAY  DANIEL!!!   He hates being called Daniel now he is an adult but I love his name and as he doesn`t read this he`ll never know !

My cold has reached new heights and I`m enjoying all the symptoms of congestion, eyes out on stalks, while at the same time so watery that I can hardly see,  nose running constantly, being unable to breathe, continuous explosive sneezing, hot flushes and cold chills, aching joints and head AND sounding ridiculous when I speak because of stuffed up nose !  I can only take paracetomol, so I`m taking those regularly and drinking lots of fluids.  I think maybe Jim is getting it too because he says his throat feels `funny`....bad sign !

Jake goes to the vet to have his stitches out tomorrow at 3pm.  But there maybe a problem.  Even with his lampshade he has learned to twist his body so he can still get to lick where he shouldn`t.  This morning i found what looks suspiciously like a tooth mark through his `unmentionable` bits..... and it looks a bit infected!  I suppose that will be more money for antibiotics....that dog will have to start earning his keep, instead of lazing around doing nothing all day except eating, sleeping and going for walks!

The weather is ok so far but we are expecting rain and its going to get colder so the forecastors say.  Why can`t we have rain at night and beautiful, warm sunshine by day, or even every other day would be nice, just so we know it`s summer. lol !

I meant to say about the hornet I saw on Sunday, just about two feet away from my face too.  They are so big...enormous even, at least four times the size of a wasp.  I do hope there`s not a nest nearby. I`m not a lover of wasps so that thing was terrifying!

That`s it for now.  Nothing else has happened but I have some more Trivia form my `magic` book.  Bye for now and have a lovely day :-)

 

NAMES OF THINGS YOU DIDN`T KNOW HAD NAMES

~  The holes in Swiss cheese are called `eyes`.  ~

~  The technical term for snapping your fingers is `fillip`.  ~

~  A poem written to celebrate a wedding is called an `epithalamium`.  ~

~  A `vamp` is the upper front part of a shoe.  ~

~  The `you are here` arrow on a map is called the `IDEO locator`.  ~

~  The S-shaped opening on a violin is called the `f-hole`.  ~

~ The little bumps of the surface of a table tennis paddle are called `pips`.  ~

~  The infinity symbol is a `lemniscate`.  ~

~  A holder for a mug or cup with no handles is called a `zarf`.  ~

~  The word for having a gap between your teeth is `diastema`.  ~

~  The dot above the letter `i` is called a `tittle`.  ~

 

 

 

TUESDAY GHOST STORY

Markygate Cell

 

THE GHOST OF CATHERINE FERRERS

The old house at the centre of this story was named Markygate Cell after a Hermitage built by a 12th century monk from nearby St. Albans.  In the 17th century Catherine Ferrers married at the age of 13, a 16 yr old member of the Fanshawe family.  The marriage was not a success, and Catherine as a result of boredom and frustration, took to a life of crime, that was to lead her to being known as the "wicked Lady Ferrers".  She became a highwayman and had a cupbord built into the chimney in the kitchen where she kept her costume of hat, breeches and cloak.  The cupboard was reached by a stairway ( that still exists) and once dressed, she would ride off on her black horse to rob and kill travellers and coach passengers.

She was shot one night while attempting to rob a coach, and although she managed to escape and get back home, she died on the doorstep leading to her secret stairway.  Following its discovery, the doorway was bricked shut for almost 200 yrs.  It was soon after her death that her ghost was seen riding over the treetops in the surrounding countryside, and swinging in the branches of a oak tree where, she is reputed to have buried her ill-gotten gains.

 

Over the years , there have been many sightings of the ghost of Catherine Ferrers.  On one occasion, when there was a serious fire at Markygate Cell,  she was seen by people who were trying to put out the flames, under a tree in the garden.  After the fire, the current owner decided to open the bricked up doorway, but could not induce any local people to do the work because of the odd noises so often heard there.  Workmen were eventually found in London, and when they eventually broke through the brickwork, they discovered the narrow staircase that lead to a heavy oak door.  The room behind the door was empty.

 

                                     XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

     MONEY TRIVIA

~  American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first class.  ~

~  More Monopoly money is printed in a year than real money throughout the world.  ~

~  Lee Harvey Oswald`s cadaver tag sold at auction for $6,600 in 1992.  ~

~  In 1979, Judy Garland`s false eyelashes were sold at auction for $125.  ~

~  During WWII, W.C. Fields kept $50,000 in Germany ` in case the little b*****d wins`.  ~

~  Sigmund Freud bought his first sample of cocaine for $1.27 per gram.  ~

~  Woodpecker scalps, porpoise teeth and giraffe tails have all been used as money.  ~

~  There are two credit cards for every person in the US.  ~

~  97 per cent of paper money in the US contains traces of cocaine.  ~

~  After their Civil War, the US sued Great Britain for damages caused by ships the British had built for the Confederacy.  The US asked for $1 billion but settled for $25 million.  ~

 

SUMMERS GONE........BRRRR!

Hello everyone, and welcome to a not so nice Monday.  After yesterday`s glorious weather it has turned cold and wet.....I knew it was too good to last.  It is only 5.30pm and I`ve had to put a light on, I know the plants need a little rain, but the cold.....no way!  The above photos prove how lovely Sunday was, with Jim seared at the garden table with a beer. My picture of the cloud while reclining on the sunlounger and the beautiful 9.00pm sky showing all the colours that usually preceed another lovely day.

Today though, apart from the weather, I woke up with a throat that feels as if it`s full of gravel, I`ve gone so long without catching anything so I suppose it`s my turn. After all so many of my journelling friends have been so unwell lately with bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses, that I don`t want to complain over what seems to be just a common cold !

Kerry has been round this afternoon, this morning she had to go to the doctor, who wrote her a letter for the airline, saying that she is fit to fly.  Then she went on to London to collect her passport and visa because on Friday she is off to Russia with Slava.  She was telling me that her Mother-in law has plans to take her out shopping for the baby, so she is looking forward to the trip, even though the baby is making her rather uncomfortable as he really knows how to kick, maybe he`ll be a dancer like his Daddy !  She also has to take all her maternity notes with her just in case she needs to see a doctor, but we hope that won`t happen as she`s doing really well at the moment.  Like I`ve said before I will worry about her until she gets back on Wednesday.  Slava has to go back to university for 5 weeks to take exams.  But she will spend a lot of the time here, and her flat is just across the road from our house so we can keep an eye on her.

Well thats it for today, I`m hungry so I`ll go and eat....!  Bye for now and have a lovely day........:-)

 

~  Louis XIV took just three baths in his lifetime ( and he had to be coerced into taking those).  ~

~  Leonardo da Vinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time.  ~

~  George 1, King of England form 1714 to 1727, was German and couldn`t speak a word of English.~

~  In the 1500`s, one out of 25 coffins was found to have scratch marks inside. ~

~  In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage.  Catching it meant she accepted.  ~

 

LAZIN` ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON!

            

Hello everyone and welcome on this beautiful sunny Sunday.  It has been the most gorgeous day and I have been making the most of it.  We put all the garden furniture out today, then sat out there ourselves getting some much needed sun. Not for the purpose of tanning, but for wellbeing.  I always find it makes me feel terrific.  After doing a huge pile of ironing this morning it was nice just to sit out there and read the Sunday mags and do the the crosswords.  Later , I just lay on the recliner/sunlounger and contemplated my existance and had all these questions buzzing round in my brain....... Why is the sky so blue ?  Why do some clouds look like animals ?  Why do some birds have beautiful throaty voices while others just squawk ?  Why are wood pigeons so fat they can barely get off the ground?...........Why does that horrible family up the road have to have there music so loud while they have their BBQ?

This afternoon we took Jake on his country walk.  So armed with a doggy water bottle we set off along the country lanes.  When we reached St Mary`s church Jimcaught my arm, saying ` Shhssssh!`  I looked over and there, on the edge of the graveyard, grazing, was a young muntjac deer.  He didn`t know we were there so we stood by the hedgerow, and watched him till he finally slipped from view into the field that would take him home to the woods.  He wasn`t timid as they usually are but that was probably due to his tender age.  Jake watched him with interest but just sat and watched as well.  When we finally got home we were exhausted by what is a normal walk for us, but the heat made it seem twice as long. We went into the garden, me on the sunlounger and Jim sat at the table reading, whilst Jake found a shady spot under the magnolia tree, where he curled up and slept soundly until his dinner was ready. All in all it`s just been a fabulous lazy day...... but I think the forecast for this coming week is rain!  Well, we`ve had our one day of summer so it is a bit greedy to expect more......!  lolol   Bye for now and enjoy your day...:-)

 

SATURDAY SNIPPETS

Hello everyone,  I`m here at last after missing a whole day without an entry!  I was just too busy yesterday that when I got on here I couldn`t be bothered to post an entry of my own.  I just read all the journals as I don`t like to miss anything.  I had my hospital appointment yesterday and I`m not too pleased with the result.  I got seen exactly on time, so far so good, but the doctor seemd disappointed when he asked how I was .  I`m sure he was hoping I`d just say " Everything is fine," and then go away.   Well I didn`t , I told him exactly what I thought of the operation and it`s resulting problems, politely you understand.....  He then said he was going to speak with the consultant.  When he came back he told me I have to have more nerve tests, physiotherapy and possibly another op.!  It will be 1st July before I go back to the hospital after having the tests.....then Kerry`s baby is due at the end of the month, THEN we go on holiday 14th August.  I`m not cancelling my hols for anything, so IF I need surgery I won`t be back at work again until after Christmas.  To say I`m displeased is an understatement! 

A lot of my friends who have commented on Wednesday`s entry, said that they didn`t know what TIS was. My fault, I should have explained.  TIS, or TIA stands for Trans Ischemic Strokes, or Attacks.  They are mini-strokes that are painless and just cause `blackouts`.  In my mother-in-laws case they will become more and more frequent.  When these attacks happen she knows nothing about it. When she wakes up, she just feels very tired and usually sleeps for the rest of the day.  When she wakes up though it is as though nothing happened.

Jake continues to make good progress. He is getting better each day and his appetite is fine now.  The swelling is much reduced and I`m sure he will be glad to have the infernal lampshade removed forever.  But he has been so good throughout.... bless him!  The photo I`ve posted is one I`ve used before but I`ve been messing around with `fun effects` in Kodak Easyshare.  I`m trying to learn all different ways to present my photos.  One of the effects is called `fisheye` and it does make things look very silly.  The one I used above is `cartoon`.

We went to the garden centre for lunch today and there was a sale on.  I bought a lovely azalea for just £2.99, very cheap!  I`ll get another next time I`m there.

Anyway, that`s it for now, have a great weekend !  Bye for now.....:-)

 

~  The River Nile has frozen over only twice - once in the ninth century, and again in the eleventh century.  ~

~  In ancient Egypt, if a patient died during an operation, the surgeons hands were cut off.  ~

~  Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, his father Emmanuel invented plywood.  ~

~  In ancient Egypt, when a cat died, it was mandatory for its owner to shave of his eyebrows to show his grief.  ~

~  In Sweden in the Middle Ages, a mayor was once elected by a louse.  The candidates rested their beards on a table and the louse was placed in the middle.  The louse`s chosen host became mayor.  ~

~  Legend has it that after he was beheaded , St Denis, the patron saint of Paris, carried his head around and walked for some distance.  ~

~  Adolf Hitler`s mother considered having an abortion but was talked out of it.  ~

~  Cleopatra wrote a book on cosmetics.  One of the ingredients was burnt mice.  ~

~  Spanish doubloons were legal tender in the US until 1857.  ~

~  The Pentagon has twice as many toilets as necessary because in the 1940`s when it was built, Virginia still had segregation requiring separate facillities for blacks and whites.  ~

~  During World War II, it was against the law in Germany to name a horse Adolf.  ~

 

BITS AND PIECES OF TODAY!

Hello everyone,

       Thursday already!  At least the weather has been kind despite the chilly wind.  This morning I had a doctor`s appointment, but before that Jim was going shopping and he wanted to take my car.  Well, he did try but it wouldn`t start.   So he had to use his own.  Then of course he drove me to the doc`s where I had to wait for 3 quarters of an hour to be seen.  Appointment went well and the doctor was very  sorry to hear about the loss of my mother.  She wants me to go back on my normal dosage of  Citalopram, which I`ve been trying to get off.  She thinks now is not the time to stop the medication while I`m feeling a bit low.   I suppose it`s for the best. She also wanted to know when I have my hospital appointment for my arm.  Actually it`s tomorrrow afternoon, so hopefully I`ll know what will happen there too. I do know that I don`t want another operation. They`ve done enough damage already and I want to be able to use my hand.  If it has to stay the same, well, so be it.  I`ll just have to get on with it.

When we got home my car started first time.  A woman`s touch was all that was needed!  I had fears of more expense paying to get it repaired.  Jake is lots better today.  The tablets seem to have started to work and the swelling is less.  He really is better in himself too, though he hates the `lampshade` he has to wear to stop him scratching.

This afternoon we went to visit Jim`s mum, who hasn`t been too well the last few weeks.  She suffers from TIS, and she had three `turns` last week.  Of course, there is nothing anyone can do and she has no idea after the event, she is just rather sleepy, nothing more thankfully, but it IS a worry for Jim and his sisters.  We stayed for just over an hour and left her in a bright, sunny mood, which is always nice.

Well, that`s my news for today.  I hope you all have a great day.  Bye for now! :-)

 

         SLOGANS SEEN OUTSIDE CHURCHES

 

~  No God - No Peace.  Know God - Know Peace  ~

~  Free trip to heaven .  Details inside!  ~

~ Try our Sundays. They are better than Baskin-Robbins  ~

~  Have trouble sleeping? We have sermons - come and hear one  ~

~  God so loved the world that He did not send a commitee  ~

~  When down in the mouth, remember Jonah. He came out all right  ~

~  Sign broken.  Message inside this Sunday  ~

~  How will you spend eternity - Smoking or Non-smoking ?  ~

~  Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty Lives  ~

~  It is unlikely there will be a reduction in the wages of sin  ~