Amsterdam and Halloween

        

 

Hello Everyone,                           

I want to wish you all a very Happy Halloween even though I haven`t prepared a special entry for it apart from some seasonal graphics. I will however, be telling all about our trip to Amsterdam and I hope you like the photos I took there.  More of which will follow in my next entry.

      

 

 

We had a nice easy flight there without any delays.  When we reached Schipol airport we were advised to take the train into the city where it was only a five minute walk to out hotel.  The public transport systenm there is second to none, with trains, trams and buses all running at 10 minute intervals.  They certainly put us to shame.  We checked in to our hotel quickly but we were disappointed with our room.  The hotel is an old ferry that has been refurbished into a `Botel`, a good idea but they should have done somethiung about the beds, ours were hard as rock and very narrow.  I nearly fell out one night and Jim has a bad back, also there was no coffee making facilities either, we were not impressed.

       

Amsterdam is a wonderful place which more than made up for out uncomfortable sleeping arrangements.  The city is full of canals and winding streets, a mixture of very old and very modern, but like nothing we have here at home.  It`s a hustling, bustling place where everyone is in a hurry and woe betide if you get in their way, we soon learned to jump to one side or get knocked over!  There are bicycles everywhere, they have there own cycle lanes and they don`t stop for anyone, another reason to be quite nimble on your feet.  There are so many bars and restaurants that you are spoiled for choice as to where you eat.  We found a lovely little place that did the best Dutch sirloin steak in mushroom sauce, it must be the best steak I`ve ever eaten, absolutely delicious.

We explored the streets on Friday afternoon until we got our bearings.  On Saturday we walked across the city to the Anne Frank Museum and we found it a tremendously moving experience.  We were shown the original diaries that she wrote while she was hiding from the Germans along with her family and the Van Pels family.  We saw film fottage about Auswitz and Bergen Belson where Anne herself died just a few weeks before liberation.  Jim and I had tears in our eyes as we climbed into the Franks hiding place behind the movable bookcase.  The living quarters were so cramped, it seems beyond belief that two families lived there for over three years until they were betrayed by persons unknown.  After that we walked back down town to buy some trainers, our feet were very sore as we didn`t realise that we would have been doing quite so much walking!  In the afternoon we took a trip on a canal boat to see more of the city in comfort while we snapped photo after photo.  We enjoyed every minute of Saturday, if you can bear it you can hear all about Sunday in my next entry...lol!

          

Have a lovely evening and watch out for spooks, witches and werewolves...lol!

 

Cheerio for now  :o)

 

 

I`m Back!

            

Hello Everyone,

I`m back!  I thought I`d pop in to say that we had a great time in Amsterdam.  We arrived back here at around noon, though I can`t say for certain as I didn`t bother looking at the clock!

It is a really wonderful city, busy and vibrant though slightly decadent, which only adds to its considerable charm.  I`ll tell you all about it tomorrow when I`ll post some of the many photos that we took in the course of the weekend.

We had a major incident just down the road to us this afternoon. The first I knew of it was when Jim came home from the local shops and saw that there was a police roadblock.  Apparently a car being chased by the police lost control, veered of the road, across the wide grass area and crashed through a tree and a telegraph pole and into two parked cars.  Apparently the steering wheel of the vehicle was pushed through the roof and we`ve heard they have been two fatalities.  I`ll let you know when I hear more about it which shouldn`t be too long.  I`ll say Goodnight now and hopefully I`ll be reading your journals again tomorrow.

Cheerio for now.

 

Cold, Wet and Who Cares???

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to what I`d call the first really cold day of the season.  Last night I put the winter duvet back on the bed, something I normally do at the end of September.  I even put the central heating on when I got home from work but then of course I was freezing cold.  We have no heating in the shop because it went wrong last year and it`s not been repaired yet.  I can see myself investing in several layers of thermal underwear because I have no intention of catching frost bite...lol!  To add to the much colder weather, it has been raining all day and driving away our customers.  Quite honestly, who wants to be outside gardening when it`s cold and wet...not me that`s for sure.  I found myself sweeping the carpet in the Christmas display area and putting out Christmas chocolates on display stands.  At least sweeping kept me warm for a time and it gave me a chance do see what a great job our deputy manager had done with the Christmas decorations stands.  I can`t believe this is my fourth week at the garden centre already, I feel quite at home now that I`ve found my feet...I really didn`t think I`d last this long, I was so stressed at first I thought that maybe the cash register was beyond me.  Thankfully I made myself get on with it and I got there in the end, I`m so glad I did  too because I don`t deal with failure well.

I`ve been spending some money at work today.  I bought some ankle-length wellies for gardening and dog walking, some orchid fertilizer and some windscreen washer solution.  I saved myself £7 in discount too, a real bargain as they were things I needed anyway.  I went shopping yesterday afternoon straight from work.  I went and had a look at the jacket I wanted but I didn`t buy it, it looked really nice but it felt itchy against my skin so that put me right off.  I did see another one there but I`ll wait until Jim`s with me and he can give me his opinion, he`s very honest and will tell me if it doesn`t look right, he can be very useful like that.  The High Street was really busy because of it beingthe half term holidays so I didn`t hang about, I did what I had to do and came straight home.  I ended up with a months supply of dog food, some toiletries for our hols, a chain so I can wear my glasses around my neck when I don`t need them.  From what I gather the weather in Amsterdam is very wet. Never mind, it won`t stop us having a great time, we British never let anything as trivial as bad weather get in our way...lol!

This will be my last entry befor we leave on Friday, I will be online tomorrow evening but just to read journals, I just don`t have time anymore to read, comment and write all on the same evening.  I`ve not had any problems keeping up using this method, even though I don`t comment on every entry, but I am doing my best.  Talking of journals, I have loads of them to read tonight so I will bid you farewell.  I hope you all have a great weekend, I will most definitely!

Cheerio and take care. :o)

 

 

Money Bags and Fireworks!

 

Hello everyone,

Before I start this entry proper, I`d like to thank you all for your good wishes on my nomination for Best Family Journal in the VIVI awards, you are such lovely people. :o)

 

 

I got paid for the first time today and got the whole lot in cash as there was a mix up at head office and they forgot all about me.  Anyway, I came home a little bit richer and now I have to take all three sackfuls of dosh to the bank ...I wish...lol!  I really have to get into town sometime between now and Thursday to get a few bits and pieces for our weekend away, just a few bits, though I HAVE seen a really nice jacket in Marks and Spencer.  I thought perhaps I`d pop in there, just have a little look you understand. :o)

I treated Jim to some nice cream leather gardening gloves today and a patio weeder, he asked for the latter and I bought the former to stop him using mine, he always stretches them and then they are no good to me.  He`s really going to like these, although I`m sure they won`t stay looking quite as good once he`s worn them outside.  Of course that IS what they`re for so I shouldn`t complain.  One of you made a comment that I`d probably spend all my wages there and I must say they are not far wrong, I know I will spend money there because I get a good discount but hopefully after a while the novelty will wear off a bit.  Mind you having said that they have some lovely Christmas bits and pieces....lol!

I`ve had quite a busy weekend, despite not going anywhere.  Saturday Danny came over for a cuppa and to show us his new car in the daylight.  On Sunday he was here for dinner and Kerry, Slava and Roman visited for a couple of hours also, so what with catching up with tons of housework, loads of washing and ironing I`m really tired and was glad to go back to work for a rest...lol!  I was pleasantly surprised when a lady that usued to work in the restaurant came into the centre, she was as surprised to see me working there as I was to see her. Jim and I always had a good laugh with her when we had our lunches in the restaurant and we missed seeing her around the place. We chatted away for ages and she told me to send her best wishes to Jim, who missed her too, because once she left he didn`t have anyone to complain about the service there......it was a standing joke between them...lol!

 Roman has cut six more teeth over the last few weeks, without so much as a whimper either. I can`t believe he cut four double teeth without any problems at all, they always seem to give babies the most trouble, at least they did in my experience.  I think it`s good that he isn`t suffering with them, good for Kerry and Slava too.  Hopefully he`ll cut the lot with no trouble at all...fingers crossed!

I`ve started packing for our trip already as I like to be organised.  I haven`t a clue what to take apart from an umbrella because Kerry, who has been there many times, says it rain a lot especially at this time of year.  I`ll have to look at the long range weather forecast for Amsterdam and then just hope for the best, we don`t want to take too much just for four days but we don`t want to be too warm or too cold either...sigh.  We fly out Friday morning and Kerry is taking us to the airport.  Luckily we`re flying from Heathrow which is only about 10 miles from here so we don`t have to get up TOO early, not that I know exactly what time our flight is...hmm, must make a note to ask Jim...lol!

AAAAHHHH!  I nearly jumped out of my skin just then....a firework exploded just across the road from me...horrible things!  We`ve been treated to a barrage of them over the weekend because of the Hindu festival of Dhiwali.  Every year they seem to get louder and louder and poor Jake won`t set a paw outside the door after it gets dark.  I suppose now they`re here to stay until long after Guy Fawkes Night on November 5th.  I like organised displays but the constant din for no particular reason for weeks on end is too much for me.  That`s it, rant over.

Anyway my friends, I`m going to make a cup of tea to calm my shattered nerves...lol!  Have a really nice evening.  Cheerio for now. :o)

 

 

A Walk in the Woods

 

Hello everyone, 

 

It`s been a beautiful autumn day here in Berkshire.  It was a bit cooler first thing this morning but warmed up as the day went on.  After catching up with the housework I went for a long walk in Black Park with Jim and Jake.  The idea was to get some photos of the Harry Potter film set that is on location in the woods but when we got there it was completely fenced off, much to our and many others, disappointment.  However we are not easily put off so we circled the perimeter fence just to see if there were any photo oppotunities to be had.  We actually saw more than we were able to photograph because the green fencing was to thick to get the camera lens through, and the only other way was for me to sit on Jim`s shoulders so I could see over it.  After a two second think, I decided that I didn`t fancy breaking a leg or two so we gave that one a big miss. The only shot we did get was of the back of a railway carriage that I took through a hole in a fence...I know, big deal...lol!  Hopefully if we manage to get back on a weekday we may seem some actual filming and possibly some of the actors.  What we did see was the whole train and the railway line, although I know the whole of Hogwarts station is being built there.  We continued our walk at a leisurely pace, the low autumn sun was very powerful as you can see in the photos and it made the woodland glades look quite eerie in places.

Yesterday after work we collected Roman and went into town, he wasn`t feeling very well as two days before he had his MMR injection and it had left him with a low grade fever.  The poor little lad didn`t eat any of his dinner and only a couple of mouthfuls of his fruit, he NEVER leaves his fruit so he had to feel poorly.  By the time we got home from town he was very sleepy so I put his pyjamas on him and after a dose of Calpol put him straight to bed where he fell asleep straight away, bless him.  When Slava arrived to collect him a couple of hours later the fever had broken and he felt much cooler again.  I called Kerry this morning and she told me that he is back to his normal happy self again, I was so relieved to hear him chattering away happily in the background.

At last Danny and Salina have their new car, it`s a midnight blue Ford Focus and it`s now their pride and joy.  Jim is very pleased too because he`s been driving them around the Home Counties looking for the perfect car and I`m sure he`ll enjoy the rest!  Danny is going to move back in with us for 6 mths after he leaves his flat.  I can`t go into details here but the arrangement will suit us all.  At least he won`t have to worry about his awful landlady anymore, well he will actually because It`ll be me...any trouble and I`ll give him notice to quit too...lol!

Next Friday Jim and I are off to Amsterdam for our long weekend and I`m really looking forward to it.  We are staying in a Botel, a hotel that is on the water.  It has been recommended to us by several people who have stayed there so I`m sure we`ll like it too. I`ll be taking my camera and I`ll take loads of photos that I`ll put on my journal if you`re interested.  There`s a flower festival there and I know I`ll love that, along with the boat rides along the canals, and lots of other things including the red light district that is world famous, what for though I have absolutely no idea...lol!

Oh yes, I almost forgot, I`ve been nominated for Best Family Journal in the VIVI`s Awards which I didn`t expect at all, thanks to all of you who put my name forward, I`m really touched.  Congratulations to all of you who have been nominated in all the catagories, the fact that you`ve been nominated at all must mean you have great journals and many others think so too, so well done and good luck in the final vote.

On that happy note I`ll say farewell my friends, have a lovely evening. Cheerio for now. :o)

 

 

Who Nicked The Sausages?

Hello everyone,

I`m late with this entry this evening, I didn`t think I`d get here at all.  I`ll give you a quick breakdown of my latest news.

This afternoon Marshall finally went home, in disgrace I might add.  Yesterday he did the unthinkable and stole the sausages I was going to cook for our dinner.  I had just put them in the tin, covered them over and pushed them to the back of the worktop out of harms way, or so I thought.  I went back to the kitchen just two minutes later to find the tin on the floor and the sausages gone...I couldn`t believe it and rushed to tell Jim.  Of course we both howled wih laughter...well what else could we do?  Apart from having to have something else for dinner!  Anyway, Jake now has some peace, I have my kitchen back as it was with a nice clean floor and absolutely NO pongy doggy smell or handfuls of long fluffy hair.  Just Jake`s short black fur and the faintest whiff of labrador......and sausages that can be left without the fear that they will disappear before we get the chance to eat them...lol!

Work is still going really well, apart from the odd miserable customer, though I won`t let them get to me like they did at first.  Some people were born to complain, at least that`s what I think.  The work itself is quite interesting, I enjoy keeping the shop clean and tidy because I have a thing about neatness and am constantly cleaning up after customers who can`t be bothered to put things back where they belong.  The people I work with are a really friendly lot and have made me feel really welcome.  We have a good laugh together when we`re not busy which helps pass the time when we`re not busy.  I`ve really learnt alot about plants already and I`m reading some of the many reference books that are kept under the desk of the cash register, before long I`ll have really green fingers, along with my now rather black, nails...lol!

Yesterday was my MIL`s 86th birthday and the nursing home provided a cake and a little celebration for her.  Jim said that the staff all sang Happy Birthday to her and generally made a fuss of her.  He said it was lovely but sad because she didn`t know anything about her special day, but he`s grateful that she is treated the same as anyone else, quite rightly too.

Well that`s it from me tonight.  I`d better go and read some journals before I have to go to bed.  I hope you`ve all had a lovely day. Cheerio for now. :o)