Trying To Catch Up

Hello Everyone,

I really thought I`d have to miss another day without posting an entry as I`ve been so busy all day.  I did some gardening before work and the job itself was busy all the time I was there.  When I got home I had a list of jobs as long as my arm because I`ve let the housework slip the last couple of weekends and I just had to catch up before it all got too much.  Anyway, I`m almost up to date now, apart from a couple of loads of washing to put in my lovely new washing machine and I have the rest of the evening free...apart from watching `I`m a Celebrity...` at 8pm, mustn`t miss that...lol!

Our weekend in Kent was really smashing, we left the dreadful weather behind in Berkshire and enjoyed a full two days of warm sunshine.  We wrapped up well against the sea breeze and didn`t feel cold at all and it was really nice to breathe the fresh air, especially as I had developed this cold.  I think if we`d been able to stay there longer I wouldn`t have suffered the cold symptoms at all.  Jim`s sister`s bungalow is really nice and as for her garden, well it would suit me fine.  They have this small apple tree that is sheltered by a high brick wall, it attracts so many different kinds of birds it`s unbelieveable.  I sat watching them out of the window for over 30 mins on the Saturday morning until my SIL asked me if I was going out with them or not!

Jim and Steve had already taken Jake for a long walk from Epple Bay to Minnis Bay and back, giving him chance to chase seagulls and have a swim.  In fact he swam, and swam and swam and by the time they came home he was exhausted and slept for most of the day. We all left him to it and went into Margate, I hadn`t been there since we were first married 32 years ago and it had hardly changed either. It is a little more faded than I remembered but the seaside always looks different at this time of year.  It was sad to see the old seawater swimming pool had been filled in for `Health and Safety Reasons`, I don`t know what they are but I`m sure somebody does somewhere...sigh.  We walked around the small shops there where I bought a nice pair of black leather gloves for just £6, they`ll be very useful for driving when it gets really cold.  I also bought a few things for Roman to wrap up for Christmas and some fingerless gloves for work, it get`s pretty cold in the shop.  Later in the day we went home, changed into warm clothes and wellies and headed for Minnis Bay to walk Jake and go `crabbing`.  Jim was really looking forward to catching some, and he did too, fourteen of them though they weren`t edible.  The fisherman in him was satisfied until his next day at the lakeside...lol!

That evening we went out for a meal in Broadstairs at a restaurant called The Captain Digby which is situated it is situated at the top of a cliff; not that I could tell because it was pitch black when we arrived there.  Sue told that it`s a lovely place to visit in Summer when you can eat looking out to sea.  Anyway, the food was delicious and we had a really friendly waitress, both very important in my book.

On Sunday morning after a hearty breakfast we went to Westgate where I spent several happy family holidays until my parents divorced when I was 11.  Westgate as I remembered it was very quiet and charming and I wasn`t disappointed.  Although it was out of season it was still very pretty and remarkably clean.  Several new buildings had sprung up over the years but what could I expect after 43 years?  We walked along the promendade because it was high tide but on the way back it had started to go out and the beach was alive with seabirds.  I watched the Oystercatchers squabbling over the mussels and whelks that they caught, just like schoolchildren with sweets, what a row they made.  Before long we had to go back to have our Sunday lunch before heading home.  Sue cooked us a wonderful meal of roast lamb, roast potatoes, broccolli, parnips and cauliflower and then we had to leave.  However we were told that we are welcome to visit them anytime and you can bet we will take them up on the offer.  We are seriously thinking of moving down to Kent eventually, it`s a much nicer area, the properties are cheaper and it has everything we need, but until then we`ll remain here and visit them as often as we can. 

Bye Bye for now. :o)

Oh yes, I almost forgot.  I want to wish all my American friends a very