Panic Over!

Thanks for the advice Jan, I deleted the entry and it`s all come back again! I`ll do the party entry again tomorrow. :o)

 

Love Sandra xxxx

 

Somebody`s Eaten my Journal!

Hello everyone,

Yesterday I did a long entry on Roman`s birthday party, but when I saved it my journal just went blank. I seemed to have lost everything that I`ve ever written in it apart from the ALL ABOUT ME column. I also don`t think any alerts went out either as I`m sure I`d get a couple of comments at least. IF you do get this would you leave a comment please just to tell me what you see when you open my journal.

 

Love Sandra xxxxxx

Happy Birthday Little Man

Hello Everyone,

Just a brief entry as it`s late and I`m exhausted. A very Happy Birthday to my darling `Little Man` Roman, I can`t believe he`s two already, it`s just flown by. The party was wonderful and I can`t wait to tell you all abou it but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I want to thank Kath, astoriasands, for the lovely graphic. Roman loves Bob the Builder.

Until tomorrow my friends. Night Night. :o)

 

 

 

Feeling Good

Hello everyone,

I`m feeling a lot better today and even though my jaw is still quite sore it`s many times better than it was. The antibiotics, and another visit to my dentist yesterday to have the cavity repacked, must have done the trick. Last night I had the best sleep I`ve had for a week and I felt really refreshed when I woke up this morning, even though it was only 6am.

The lovely weather we had yesterday has all but disappeared and has been replaced by some light rain and leaden skies. I suppose it was just too good to last. The people who have been hit by the floods are running out of fresh running water but are getting bottled water delivered to their homes. On the news this evening they said that Maidenhead and Reading could be hit by the ever rising river Thames, which by midnight when it reaches its peak, also Windsor could be at risk and the authorities hope that the Jubilee river, a purpose-built flood barrier will do it`s job. I just hope the water isn`t rising too fast and the worst doesn`t happen, more rain would be a disaster for many.

This afternoon Jim and I went shopping for bits and pieces for Roman`s party on Saturday. We bought paper plates etc. plastic cutlery, paper napkins and tablecloths and serving plates and bowls. I wondered if we`d bought enough and Jim thinks we`ve bought too much, isn`t it funny how men and women think so differently about things? I don`t get paid until Friday but I`d saved a little for myself but not much. How was I to know that there were Summer sales in most of the shops...lol!  Wellll, I saw this really nice handbag...reduced from £25 to £7.49...how could I resist...? And I`ll say this nest bit quickly....I bought a new top as well...lol!

I`ve been looking at prices of mirrors, we want one to go over the fireplace in the living room but can`t find one that we really like yet. Well we did but it`s far to expensive so it`s out of the question. Since we`ve decorated the living room we`ve not got around to re-hanging the pictures and I`m getting fed-up with looking at bare walls. We must do it soon, or should I say Jim should...lol!

Danny went for a job interview this morning, he had one last week and was called back by the company. He has been offered the job too! He also went for another interview this evening has been called back for that one too. He is considering the first offer as it`s an excellent job with a much improved salary. The only thing is he`ll have a lot more responsibility so he`s taking his time before he makes up his mind. I think it`s very sensible of him not to be swayed by the money alone.

Right, my friends. I`m off to catch up on my journal alerts. Have a lovely evening and I`ll be back again soon. :o)

 

 

Another Trip to the Dentist

Hello Everyone,

I thought I`d report in after the weekend I`ve had. My mouth and jaw has got progressively worse and this morning I arrived on my dentist surgery doorstep at 9am sharp. My own dentist hadn`t arrived but his partner very kindly saw me staright away and told me that I have a DRY SOCKET and an infection in the bone. He prescribed some special mouthwashes and a course of penicillin capsules that are guaranteed to kill anything that is lurking in the space that was my tooth...lol! I have to confess that I`ve been beside myself with the pain and seriously began to wonder when the pain would ease. Despite taking some very strong painkillers the pain was constantly there and I`ve had no respite until this morning. The packing that the dentist put in certainly helps though it`ll need topping up in a day or two. Hopefully tonight I`ll get some well deserved sleep.

I still went for the family meal on Saturday and enjoyed the good company. The food was excellent but I could barely open my mouth to eat so I missed out on a great meal. I did however manage to eat dessert which was my favourite, Creme Brulee. That, it has to be said, went down very nicely indeed!

On Sunday, Jim and I took advantage of the nicer weather did some heavy duty gardening. Jim cleared the flower beds of weeds and dug in some more farm manure while I secured the trellis`s and extended some of them with garden wire. The nice, tidy garden made me realise that there are some places that needed to be filled with new plants and as you know, that will never do. My plan for the garden is that there are always several plants in flower at one given time so today I bought........

Agapanthus `Midnight Star` which flowers between July-September

Sidalcea `Little Princess` which flowers September-November

Coreopsis `Flying Saucers` which flowers June-November

All of them are very pretty, hardy and very easy to grow. I know exactly where to plant them and they`ll still be a couple more spaces...mmm, what shall I get next month I wonder? 

I have lots of ideas in my head for Roman`s birthday party, though I have to have a plan B just in case the weather is bad on the day. One way or another it will still be a good party if I have anything to do with it.  There is so much to do as far as food preparation is concerned but it will be worth it in the end. Knowing me I`ll make far too much food and loads will be thrown away, I`d rather that though than not enough to go round leaving us with hungry guests!

I read in yesterday`s paper that Summer this year just isn`t going to happen, well I can`t say I`m at all surprised. I suppose we`d all better get used to having a year-round Winter, for 2007 at least. At least here in the South of England we don`t have the devasting floods that have hit Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. We did have a shock on Saturday when we were going to the restaurant. The river Thames has never looked quite so swollen for a long time and it was flowing very fast. Any more of the heavy rain we had on friday could be disastrous for those who live along it`s banks.

Danny has told me that he and Sal did try again but it`s definitely over now. He told me all the old problems are still there and they won`t go away now. I think he`s done the right thing for himself and Sal because one day they will both find the right person. I am sorry it didn`t work out because Jim and I are really fond of her, but in the pursuit of happiness you have to make the right choices and I want my son to be happy.

I must go now and take some more painkillers, then another antibiotic...and mouthwash.....I`m taking pills like sweets at the moment, I must rattle when I walk...lol!

Take care my friends. Bye Bye. :o)

 

 

The Sound of the Rain

              

My beautiful red roses have weathered the storm.

 

Hello Everyone,

Today must have been the wettest day of the year so far. There have been floods right across the country with the Berkshire town of Maidenhead, just a few miles up the road from us, closed to all traffic as the town centre is under water. When a colleague told me about it I thought he was joking but then I saw a photo of it on his mobile phone and the roads were just rivers.

We all got soaked at work because the rain found it`s way through the roof and we spent a gret deal of time moving stock from the worst affected areas. Despite the horrendous conditions we still had a few customers, though I can`t imagine what brought them in today, the road outside was flooded as was the car park. One couple were keen to buy some garden furniture and one man spent ages looking for plants and once he`d paid for them decided to wait until the rain eased off. Why, I have no idea as he was already soaking wet! Oh well there`s no accounting for the quirks of the general public,though I for one wouldn`t have left the house today if it hadn`t been for work. If I HAD gone out it certainly wouldn`t have been to a garden centre.  We did have several stock deliveries that kept us busy indoors but one of my colleagues who works outside was absolutely soaked through, I did feel for him having to work in all that rain. Let`s hope we have some better weather coming up, though it`s not forecast for the weekend.

Tomorrow we are going out for a family dinner. Kerry and Slava were going to view a house but have decided against it because it needs a lot of work and the present owners won`t lower the price. They are disappointed but I know something just right for them will come along soon, it`s just a matter of time. I was hoping it would be sunny tomorrow for the dinner but as we have no control where the weather is concerned we`ll just have to make the best of it.We always have a good time on these occasions and tomorrow will be no exception.

I`ve not taken as many painkillers today and even they are milder ones. My jaw has still been painful but not as much as yesterday and hopefully tomorrow will be easier still. I`ll be really glad when food doesn`t taste of cardboard anymore. I have completely lost my sense of smell and my tastebuds aren`t what they should be. I just hope I get them back again as I love my food but find mealtimes hard going at the moment. I find that salty and very sweet foods taste the best, anything in between is out of the question. At least I`ll have a choice of meal tomorrow so it should be fine.

I have posted a photo of my red roses. This one is past it`s best but it has survived so much rain that I thought today would have finished it off. Imagine my surprise when I got home and saw it just as it was before I left for work. My other roses suffered from the wet summer with the petals falling with each heavy shower. This red climber has other ideas and I have high hopes for it next year, it should be a real beauty when it gets bigger.

I`m off now though, my washing machine has stopped and so has the dryer. And is that the kettle I hear boiling?  Hmm....Jim is making a cup of tea!  Have a great weekend all of you. :o)

 

A Big Thank You

Hello Everyone,

I hadn`t planned on doing an entry today but when I read all your comments I changed my mind. I really appreciate how kind and sympathetic you have all been, considering it was after all, just a tooth extraction. No, you have all been lovely so thanks again to you all.

I think the worst of the pain is subsiding now though my jaw is badly bruised and I feel as though I`ve just been 10 rounds with Mike Tyson...lol!  Luckily, there is no skin discolouration...yet, and I hope it stays that way. I can only imagine what customers at work would think if I was serving with a bruised jaw...lol! I`m finding very hard to eat because I can`t open my mouth properly. Jim says it hasn`t stopped me talking though!

Right, I`ve been asked by Lyn (Brits Blog) how I know about Dan and Salina. Wellll, it`s like this. I found a screwed up carrier back on the dining room table. I opened it to see if there was anything in it and there wasn`t, apart from a supermarket receipt and TWO cinema tickets for the same place the two of them always visited. Then there have been the late night phone calls at more or less the same time as Sal always called. AND Dan leaves for work earlier, at the same time he used to leave when he took her to work each morning. Oh yes, they are back together all right but are keeping it quiet for now. I`ve told him that I`ve invited her to Roman`s birthday party next Saturday and he was really pleased. What more proof does a mother need...lol!

The weather has been lovely the last two days desite me using a wet weather Welcome graphic today. The reason I used it is because we had a heavy downpour this evening at 6.30 and the forecast for tomorrow is for very heavy rain...again. Ok, the joke`s wearing thin now, can we have some summer please while there is still time? Also with next Saturday being Roman`s birthday party we just can`t allow any rain to spoil the celebrations. A customer told me that on the same day, July 28th, the Stoke Poges flower show is taking place. It`s an annual event in the village of Stoke Poges just a couple of miles from my home and it would be a great shame if it rained on their special day. Many of the contributors have been going to the show for 40 years or more and they work really hard for this one day each year so the weather has to be kind that day.

Yesterday Jim and I went to Toys`R`Us and bought Roman`s birthday present. We found slides of varying sizes but eventually chose one that will last him more than one year but isn`t too big. Well, I said not TOO big but when we collected it to take it to the car the box it came in was enormous and Jim doubted that it would fit. So he took it out of the box and after a bit of a struggle we eventually fitted it in. As well as the slide we bought a toddler-sized plastic table and chair which we fitted underneath the slide. Then we went to the nearby Tesco for some grocery shopping so the car was well and truly full for the journey home. More than once I hit my head on the slide which was hanging over the back of my seat and I was very glad to get home. Now all we have to do is keep it hidden until his birthday next week. How DO you keep a slide hidden I wonder? ...LOL!

This afternoon after work I went to Windsor with Kerry and Roman. Kerry was buying a little friend of Roman`s a birthday present in The Early Learning Centre when Roman picked up a toy and called across the shop " Nanna pay!"  Can you believe it? He`s not 2 yet. The boy learns fast! And no, I didn`t buy him anything today, wicked woman that I am...lol!

Anyway my friends I must away. I have to try to catch up on my journal alerts as I haven`t been able to concentrate with my painful jaw.  Bye bye for now. :o)

 

AAAAAGGHHH! It DID Hurt!

Hello Everyone,

Well the tooth has been removed and I can`t say I`m glad either. The pain I was in before is nothing to the pain I was in afterwards. I will explain.

My appointment was at 1.30pm, just 30mins after I`d finished work. Jim took me and collected me from the garden centre where I got changed and spruced myself before the big event. The dentist was late back from lunch, not that I was too bothered as I was thinking about cancelling anyway...lol! Then once I`d had THREE injections to numb the area I nearly fainted right there in the dentist`s chair, I felt such a fool. Apparently the adrenaline in the injection, I think it`s cocaine based, can cause this too happen. I was also told that I should have ate something before I arrived. How could I do ? I work on a cash register and I`m not sure the customers would like to be served by someone with their mouth full of sandwich...lol! And then of course I had to clean my teeth so I couldn`t eat...sigh.

Once I`d come round after my dizzy spell the dentist wasn`t happy that my mouth wasn`t as numb as it should be so it meant another 2 injections before I was ready. It then took 10 minutes to remove the tooth and to do so meant "manouvering"  (His word not mine) the other side of my jaw to help loosen said molar. Well, the pain from the good side of my jaw was nothing short of excrutiating, something I didn`t expect and hope never to feel again. When I left the chair the "good" side of my face really hurt and I had difficulty in signing the documents afterwards. I told the dental nurse, who by the way was really nice to me, that I hoped she would forgive me for saying that I hoped never to see her again. She laughed and I attempted to, my frozen face just wouldn`t allow me to smile properly. I have decided that if I ever need to have such a large tooth removed I will ask for a full anaesthetic because I`m not going through that again.

I did however go into town with Jim afterwards. I needed to renew my car tax and send a parcel to a friend and I didn`t want to leave either until next week. I also bought some extra strength painkillers for when the numbness in my jaw wore off. I took a couple an hour ago and I`m glad to say that they do work.

I`ve also bought myself a new mobile phone. My old one is just that, old, and very unreliable, by which I mean it keeps switching itself or not recognising the SIM card. Also the battery runs out very quickly so it has to go the mobile graveyard....lol! My new phone was a bargain (you know what I`m like) and is exactly what I wanted. It`s a NOKIA as are all the phones I`ve ever had because they are the easiest to use, very important from my point of view. As the phone was much cheaper than I`d budgeted for I have some money for a couple of plants that I`ve had my eye on lately. They are Agerpanthus and they are just coming into flower and I have just the spot for each of them in my garden....:o)

Right, that`s enough about my tooth and my spending habits for one day. I`ll bid you all goodnight and I`ll see you in my next entry. :o)

PS: How can I go without thanking you all for your prayers and well wishes. It means a lot to me that you all care. :o)

PPS: Dan IS seeing Salina again.  I have proof! :o)

 

This is going to hurt!

Oh dear,

I visited the dentist today just to be on the safe side, I was sure he`d say it was neuralgia and to see my doctor....but no, I have a fractured back tooth and it cannot be saved. Tommorow my friends, please think of me at 1.30pm GMT when I will be sitting in the dentist`s chair rigid with fear waiting for the dreaded event to take place. I must admit that it is very painful and I`ll be glad to be rid of it for that reason. But on the other hand I`d grown very attached to that tooth (we`ve been together a long time!) and was hoping it would last me a lifetime...sigh. The dentist said the fracture was probably caused by a nut or seed and I do eat a lot of both. It must have happened last Saturday week when I bit down on something hard and I nearly went through the roof with the pain. It took a while to subside but it has been getting worse ever since...Hmmmp...neuralgia, who was I trying to kid?  Of course the pain of the tooth will be seconded by the pain of the wallet. Dentistry is a lucrative business and you should see the car, or rather the CARS that mine drives. I suppose my final bill will go towards his next holiday somewhere exotic...lol!

                                                        

                                               

Anyway, must run. I only dropped in to tell you the not so good news. Have a lovely evening and I`llbe back with all the gory details....lol!  Well, some......:o)

 

And Justice?

Hello Everyone,

Well it`s not raining here but it`s as dark as night. It`s been very hot and humid with thunder rumbling around for much of the day. Another day of our good old English summer lets us down once again....sigh. The long range forecast is telling us not to expect any good weather until September so with luck our annual trip to Dorset will be lovely....we`ll see!

I`m almost certain to Dan is seeing Salina again. He`s been mentioning her inconversation quite a bit and last night he went out without saying a thing. Not of course that he has to but it was 11.30 and we didn`t even hear the back door shut...and then he didn`t arrive home until in the early hours .....VERY mysterious. And today I heard him talking on his mobile phone...in the bathroom. Who takes their phone into the shower? I know it isn`t another woman so it must be Sal. I just hope it will be for the right reasons if they do get back together.....

I`ve spent some time clearing out the computer and was doing a great job when I accidently deleted Bookworm. It wasn`t even listed as Bookworm or Popcap but Return to Atlantis. How could that be?  Anyway I`ve spent a great deal of the afternoon trying to reinstall it without success. I`ll have to try again tomorrow as I`ve had enough of it today. If I still don`t manage it I`ll buy the game from a store cos at least that I will I can`t lose it again.

I did a bit of garden tidying today. I have to water the hanging baskets and wall mangers because the rain doesn`t reach them. It must look funny to other people who see this slightly dotty woman watering her plants in the rain...lol! Today however I trimmed back some of the petunias that are starting to look a bit straggly. Also I cut back some dead heads from the roses and trimmed off yellowing leaves. The kilmarnock willow has grown out of all proportion so I`ve thinned out some of the newer branch shoots from underneath and took off some length. It looks a lot better now. I have to cut back the jasmine once it finishes flowering because it`s so heavy it`s pulled the trellis from the fence so I`m going to have to re-train it along wires on the top of the fence. I`m really pleased with the new red rose, the flowers are very resilient to the rain but look so delicate. I can`t wait to see the flowers on it next year, it should be quite an eyecatcher. The garden composter is filling up nicely now though it certainly does smell awful. I suppose that means it`s rotting well and will be fit for use next year.

I`ve started to wonder if my sinus trouble is neuralgia. I have tinnitus also which sounds like a percussion band playing loudly in my head, accompanied by a thousand twittering birds., it`s driving me mad. The tinnitus is not too bothersome in the day with all the surrounding noises but at night it`s almost deafening. I`d better make an appointment with my dentist and then the doctor to find out what`s going on, it`s very uncomfortable and very, very annoying.

Roman spent most of yesterday afternoon sleeping until I began to think he`d miss his teatime. Luckily he woke in time to have something to eat and get ready for bed and have a huge drink of milk. Slava got home from the gig at about 8pm so Roman didn`t have a late night which I`m always happy about.

Do you remember some time ago I told you the distressing case of three thugs who threw a Staffordshire Bull Terrier from a high rise block of flats in this town?  Well the accused `person`...they only caught the one, has had his court case dropped and will go free. The people who saw the poor trusting animal thrown to her death are disgusted that justice won`t be done and so am I too. If it had been a person the courts would have gone ahead with the case....but it was `just` an animal, shame on them. I hope the perpetrators feel shame for the rest of their miserable lives....but somehow I doubt it.

Anyway, on that sad note I will take your leave.  I hope you all have a good week ahead. Take care and Bye Bye for now.

 

Chalk and Scribble

                          

Hello Everyone,

It`s been a long week, or so it seems. All the rain we`ve been having has been keeping the customers away from the garden centre so I`ve been rather bored. There`s only so much cleaning and tidying you can do in a shop and after that I`ve been scratching around for jobs to pass the time. I`ve already decided what I`ll be doing tomorrow in the event of a customer-free day or our manager finding something else, which somehow I doubt.

On Tuesday poor Roman fell and bumped his head on the wall in the hallway. I tried to catch him but I couldn`t get there in time. Oh dear, he did cry and I was really worried that he`d really hurt himself but, as if usually the case, he forgot all about a few minutes later. I kept checking his eyes and watched out for signs of concussion but thankfully he was absolutely fine.

Our freezer is now full of freshly caught mackeral, sea bream and dogfish. I think that dinner on Saturday evening will be dogfish and chips...mmm, the thought is enough to get the tastebuds going...lol! On Saturday Roman will stay for the evening as Slava has a dance gig and Kerry is working.  I don`t usually have him at weekends but as he`s never any trouble I don`t mind at all. He is speaking so well Kerry says he`ll be at university before he`s 10....lol! Seriously though he uses quite long words for a little boy just short of 2 that we are constantly amazed. Yesterday he was playing with his little Fire Station when he said "Emergency, Emergency,"  Then we realised that the fire engine that goes with the station makes that sound. He also keeps saying the word "properly", why we have no idea. Kerry called hima little parrot today and he kept repeating "Parrot, parrot...quack, quack". Kerry said"No, ducks say quack quack."  Roman just kept saying "No Mummy, parrot quack quack.".....lol!

My car was fixed today and I`m very relived to find out that it didn`t cost anywhere near as much as I thought it would. It doesn`t matter though because the money I saved will go towards my car insurance which has to be paid at the end of the month when the yearly tax is due also. I am destined to be kept poor for the next couple of months...sigh.

Next week we are going to buy Roman`s birthday present, at least Jim is. I`ll just be going along to choose it...lol!  We`ve decided to get him a slide as whenever he goes to the park it`s always the slide he heads for first. We haven`t told Kerry who is pestering me to tell her what we`re getting....but we`re not going to tell her however hard she tries! Today I bought him a blackboard and chalk as he just loves to draw...well scribble...but he does try and it does keep him occupied for ages.

Danny told me yesterday that he saw Salina yesterday and that they had a civil conversation. I didn`t ask whether they met by chance or it was planned but he said she is doing really well...HOWEVER, I wonder if that`s all there is to it. Reading between the lines I could tell that he was a little bit put out by the fact that she seemed to be moving on...Is he having second thoughts about ending the relationship?  I think he is...hmmm.

Right, my friends I must go and read some journals. I hope you`ve all had a nice day and that some of my dear American friends are finding the weather a bit cooler than it has been of late. Have a lovely evening. Bye for now.

 

Cars, Sunflowers and Mosquitos

Hello Everyone,

I thought you`d like to have a look at the latest photos of my flowers. They are not as good as I`d hoped but not as bad as I feared after all the rain we`ve had. The weather has been fine over the weekend and most of today has been as well so that has helped them along somewhat. I really love the sunflowers that I grew for Roman from birdseed. I have three of them but would have had five. When we got home from Russia two of them had been snapped in half but the strong winds even though I`d staked them really well. The remaining three are now so secure that even a hurricane shouldn`t shift them...though I sincerely hope they aren`t put to the test!

Today has been a bit of a pain workwise with a lot of miserable customers coming my way. I was in such a bright cheery mood when I started work but by 1pm I couldn`t wait to leave...I hate days like that...:o(  After work I had to take my car for a diagnostic test to find out why the engine keeps cutting out on me. It happens at traffic lights and roundabouts and just about everywhere else that is inconvenient so I just had to find out what`s going on with it.  It turns out that its not something serious at all and can be repaired at a reasonable price (relief!). Later this afternoon I rang our mechanic and he`ll order the part needed tomorrow. I will be so glad when it`s done as I`m getting fed up sitting there like a lemon with all these others cars beeping their hooters at me...lol!

Jim went sea fishing today and has come home with quite a haul. At this moment he`s outside gutting, filleting and preparing them for the freezer.With the amount we have we certainly won`t go hungry for a while, perhaps I should be looking up some fish recipes to experiment with. He said he had a good day but was seasick on and off for the whole time. It`s the second time it`s happened so next time he`s going to take something to try to prevent it.

I`m suffering a bit with my sinuses at the moment, at first I thought it was toothache but the pain is moving around my mouth, around my nose and under my eyes. I think there may be some infection there but I`ll see how it goes. At the moment I carry on with inhaling steam and taking paracetamol and hope it clears up on it`s own...I still have swollen glands too....I`m an absolute wreck if you ask me...lol!

Now that was the thing about Russia, the air IS heavily polluted but even though Jim complained about the air quality I`d never felt better for years all the time we were there...apart from an eye infection for which I got treatment (caused by something that got in it) I felt superfit. Maybe it`s the clean air back here that disagrees with me...lol! Did I tell you about Jim`s accident there?  If I have I apologise but he slipped fell heavily down some concrete stairs and hit his back against a metal door frame and scraped his elbow and knee....slightly.  His back is still black and blue from the fall which could have been very much worse as he really went down really hard. I was so worried as he didn`t even move for a moment. Now of course we can all have a good laugh at it and then he shows us all the bruise...again, and again.....lol!  Then of course there were the mosquito bites who, according to Jim, never bite him. Well, he had bargained on Russian mossies so he didn`t bother using insect repellent ....bad move. He was quite badly bitten so I think in future he won`t be so blase about them.

I must go now and see how Jim`s doing with the filleting. I just didn`t want to go outside like earlier to find my patio looking like a butcher`s shop...ugh!   I hope you`ve all had a good day. Bye for now. :o)

 

Miscelleaneous Russia

Hello Everyone,

I hope you`re all having a good weekend. We`ve had BBQ`s both today and yesterday as the weather has been much better and Jim wants to give our new BBQ a trial run before Roman`s birthday party in two weeks. I have to report that it is working perfectly and we`ve eaten really well the last couple of days. I`ve been experimenting with some recipes that Nadia gave me for salad and rice dishes and I`m really pleased with the results. So, I might add were Jim and Danny which is good enough for me. I have loads left and Dan says he`ll be taking some to work for his lunch the next couple of days so nothing will be wasted. Kerry and Slava took Roman to some friends daughter`s 5th birthday party. The children there weren`t bothered with Roman but he played happily with the toys there and ate lots of food, as you do at parties...lol!  Later they popped in for a cuppa despite Kerry being under the weather with a cold that she picked up in Russia. Roman has come home with a "proper boys" haircut and unlike all the other times he didn`t make a fuss. This time they used clippers instead of scissors which somehow made a difference.

The photos I`ve posted are random though I`m hoping you haven`t already seen them, if you have I apologise in advance. On our last day we went for a leisurely (at least that was the intention) trip down the sea canal. It was lovely and sunny and perfect for relaxing in the open backed boat. It all went well for a while and we had a laugh, took photos and enjoyed the sights...THEN the engine cut out and the driver couldn`t start it again. Now for those of you who don`t know, the bridges of the canal are very low, so low that you can reach up and touch them as you pass underneath. Guess where we were when the boat broke down?  That`s right, just about to pass under a bridge but instead of going straight under we started to drift towards the lowest part.....!  Of course, we did hit the bridge with a crunch and the light at the top of the boat was smashed on impact. The driver or captain managed to push the boat through the bridge to a mooring on the other side. A river police boat came alongside but just laughed and drove away again, some help they were. Slava said they said to the captain, " I see you broke down then mate" and that was that. The captain called up for another boat so we could continue our trip. It soon arrived leaving the poor man to try to fix the ailing vessel.

In the trip we came close to the river fountain,  something I`ve never seen anywhere before and I think would look out of place anywhere else. Apparently the canal and bridges were meant to mirror Amsterdam and I must admit they did a great job. The canal looks really clean even though I know it isn`t...there are almost no water birds to be found there or the river. The locals who catch fish from the river take them home and eat then but after reading what goes into the river I for one certainly wouldn`t even entertain the idea!

I think visiting Russia has given me a different view of the country than the one the press and media would have us believe. We didn`t stay in a tourist hotel but with ordinary people who live just as ordinary lives. They are not obsessed with politics and communism but they just go about their daily lives the way you and I do. There is a slight sadness about them but things are changing...the black market is losing it`s power and the police are doing a good job at tackling crime. It was an extraordinary holiday to a crazy city and would we go back?   Absolutely!

Bye for now. :o)

 

 

Hello Everyone,

I`m back and I`m feeling much better. Not 100% but well enough. I`ve posted some photos of family in Russia and Slava and Jim`s visit to the lake ( I don`t recall the name of it) where they bought some smoked fish, the best fish I`ve ever tasted in my life. The lake is very special to the citizens of St.Petersburg because it`s the very place that the Russian army turned the tide on the German invaders and finally drove them out of Russia in WWII. It was 11.30pm when Jim took the photos but it looked like early evening. They took a leisurely walk along the beach with Roman happily playing in the sand, and his great-grandmother Luba walking alongside him. Roman forged a strong bond with her and they seemed to have a very similar sense of humour. There are no language difficulties for Roman, far from it. Slava speaks Russian to him a lot of the time anyway but we all taught him new words...well Jim and I had just learnt them too...lol! Roman`s favourite was Pa ka, ( Par car) which means Bye, and he just kept saying it over and over making everyone laugh.

While they were at the lake, Nadia, Julia, Kerry and myself went to the ballet to see Swan Lake and what a wonderful evening that was. The company were from the Kirov ballet and though they weren`t the star performers we thoroughly enjoyed the performance and I can`t wait to go again when we next visit...and to the opera too, Kerry`s been before and loves it as much as I do. When we got home we tucked into the smoked fish and fresh bread and like I said, it was delicious. Then we were treated to a cup of Nadia`s particularly good tea. I never thought I`d have to go to Russia for the best cup of tea ever! That night, like most others we didn`t get to bed until after two. It`s seems very late but because of the white nights it doesn`t seem late at all consequently we didn`t feel at all tired. Also because Russia is 3 hours ahead of us timewise, when we flew home it was the same time at landing than at take off, making it easier for our body clocks to re-adjust to our time again.

Jim and I are agreed in that we found many of the Russian people very unsmiling and even suspicious. Slava`s family are lovely generous but many people just didn`t smile. I don`t know why but Slava thinks it goes back to when people had nothing and they might feel deep down that it could happen again. I think perhaps he`s right, none of us have had to live that way. Another downside is the traffic and the way people drive....NEVER again will I complain about British drivers or our roads after what we experienced. Traffic lights, pedestrian crossing...PAH! Who cares!   Trust me, I must have aged 10 years after a weeks Russian road travel...lol!  On a more serious note, one day we were as usual in a traffic jam when three men jumped from a car and started beating the car in front with baseball bats!  I just couldn`t believe it and was more than a little bit scared. What was even more scary was that many people carry guns there and if the owner of the smashed up car had been carrying one......well, you can imagine.

Any, must go, Jim is on his way back from collecting Kerry and Slava from the airport and I hope to see them before they go home.  Have a great weekend and I`ll be back again soon. :o)

 

Ailing....sniff,sniff

Hello everyone,

Just to let you know that I haven`t forgotten that I`d do an entry a day about our Russian trip. Jim picked up a nasty virus almost as soon as we arrived home....now I have it too...sigh. Anyway, I will creep away and feel sorry for myself until I feel better...(weak laugh)!   For the time being I`ll read a few journals and then have an early night. Bye Bye.

Our Visit to Peterhof

Hello Everyone,

Today I will tell you all about our visit to Peterhof, the beautiful Summer Palace of the Tsars and now a museum that is open to the public.  We boarded a hyrofoil and travelled along the Neva delta to Peterhof where we could see right across the Gulf of Finland.

Peterhof was truly a sight to behold even though I had been told how lovely it was nothing prepares you for the real thing. It was breathtaking, even though it was raining when we arrived. Luckily, although we had showers all day the sun came through in between to brighten things up. The palace was built by Peter the Great with a view to rivalling Versailles in France. They certainly succeeded too, I just don`t have the words to describe the place the way I`d like. Everyone should go there just once in their lifetime just to see what I mean.

Nadia and Ivan, Slava`s parents came with us as it had been many years since they had last visited. It`s a bit like us living near Windsor Castle, I don`t remember when we last went there. Jim and I were armed with our camera and camcorder and played the tourist to our hearts content , ending up with some great footage and photos to remind of of our visit.

We walked around the woods and came across many more fountains, many of them where you wouldn`t expect to find them, such as the artificial tree surrounded by daisies that sprayed water everywhere. You had to be careful or you could get very wet indeed...lol!  Peter the Great had a sense of humour and he used to turn on hidden fountains that would soak his noble guests who would be dressed in their finery...I`m not sure I`d be very amused, but then you couldn`t really complain to a Tsar can you?

I tried to imagine Nicholas II`s wife and children waking up in the morning to see the beautiful grounds that surrounded their palace. I wonder if they ever looked at it and thought how lucky they were...and would things always be that way for them?  We`ll never know. What I do know is that the Russian government has preserved the Palace beautifully, as they have all the fine buildings in the city. I do wonder though, why have they not spent more money on the ordinary hard-working people`s homes. More of that in another entry.

When we finished walking around we had a coffee and some delicious Russian apple pie. They certainly know how to make the most wonderful cakes and pastries...they are so yummy I`d have loved to bring some home. Then it was back to the delta to pick up the hydrofoil back to the city. We`d had a truly unforgettable day but we were tired out and all we wanted was to put our feet up!

Tomorrow I`ll tell you things about Russia, not from a tourist point of view but as a casual observer. Seeing as we stayed with a family we saw things other tourists wouldn`t usually see which has given us a better understanding of Russia.

I want to answer a few questions that were posed in your comments.

To Linda,   There are no longer any food shortages in Russia, far from it in fact. There are supermarkets and shops everywhere selling all the food anyone can eat. People remember the food shortages very well and they don`t ever waste food. If you don`t eat all the evening food, you eat in for breakfast the next day. It`s simply what they do....just in case.

To Angie,  I also thought of Russia in black and white. I think it`s because we all know so little about it. The Russians are very different from us in many ways and they seem  suspicious of us but then they aren`t told much about us either, so who could blame them. I will never think of Russia in black and white again after the beautiful places I`ve seen.

I`ve just had a phone call from the vet. Jake has just had his op and after blood tests and an x-ray were clear, it was discovered that he had a grass seed embedded in the side of his face. How could such a tiny thing cause so much trouble?  Anyway I`m just relieved that it wasn`t anything serious and that all he will have is a sore face and some scar tissue.   and we`ve got a whopping great bill...lol!  Thank goodness we have pet insurance.

Anyway I must run as I`ve got a huge pile of ironing to do before we collect Jake at 5.30. I hope you`ve all had a good day...it`s only rained once today here...I can hardy believe it...lol!  Bye for now. :o)

 

 

 

Home From Russia

Hello Everyone,

I`m home at last, well I have been since Saturday but I`ve had so much to do I didn`t get a chance to go online until today. I had a wonderful and truly memorable holiday in St.Petersburg, the most amazing place I`ve ever visited. I call it a city of contraditions because just when you think one thing, something else happens to make you think another. The city itself is beautiful, the buildings are magnificent as is the river Neva with it`s many bridges.

Anyway, I`ll come to that later when in a series of entries I`ll tell you all about our adventures in Russia.. Firstly I hope you like the photos I took of our visit to the Hermitage, now a museum that holds many treasures from all over the world but was, at one time the Winter Palace of the Tsars. It was the place where Tsar Nicholas II at his family where arrested in the October Revolution in 1917. There is little mention of the Romanovs anywhere in St.Petersburg today, perhaps it`s just something they don`t want to be reminded of.

We arrived home to a worried phone call from our friends who looked after Jake while we were away. They had to rush him to the vet on Saturday morning as his face and throat had swollen up suddenly and he was very subdued. The vet thought he`d been stung and gave him antihistimine and antibiotic injections and the swelling went down somewhat. However, it has gone down completely and he is still not his normal self and after seeing the vet this afternoon it was thought he needs a small operation to see what`s going on in there. It looks very much like the lump Hannah had in her jaw when she was diagnosed with cancer but the vet is hopeful that it`s not that. I can`t somehow believe that two dogs could get the same very rare disease but it`ll be much better once we know for sure.

I went back to work today and spent a good part of the day putting bird tables together, not something you do every day but it passes the time...lol! The rain has certainly not kept customers away as much as I thought but there were certainly less of them than usual. It seems hard to believe that it is high summerwith all the rain and low temperatures that we`re having. Apparently it will be like this until the 15th July....how the forecastors know that I have no idea!

Anyway, my friends. I`ll say goodbye for now though I`ll be back tomorrow with the first entry about my holiday with more photos.  Night Night. :o)