The giftie…

I remember red squirrels, and those I have actually seen are so small compared to their grey counterparts. I believe Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour is still a haven for the red squirrel. We have only seen two or three grey squirrels since our move here in 2017, so as it was when I was a child, to see one is a novelty. Happy days Sue.

Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

There is a ‘wishing squirrel’ tied around my wrist. Its cord matches my dressing gown. The red squirrel. ‘Tufty’ to most of my generation in this country… has been under threat from the invasion of its grey cousins for years and where once they were a common sight, they are now a rarity across most of the land. I have caught glimpses on my travels, but no photographs… no snapshot to hold and remember.

Memories, though, I do have… of watching them as a child with my grandfather, deep in the Fall Woods, dodging the small missiles they threw at me every morning as I walked through the trees on my way to school, excitement as a red flash ran across a road near Glen Lyon… And, while photographs and keepsakes may perish or be lost, memories persist, even when our minds may no longer be able to access them.

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Today is Thursday 4th March

We have a fuzzy yellow ball in the sky which is toasting my left arm quite nicely through the glass.
Breakfast has been had and we are on our second and fourth cup of tea……….. Hubby has been up longer than me, so he’s on cup 4!

INR this morning, then we are off to do some local shopping to get our stew ingredients. We had been buying stewpacks which consisted of one onion, 4 carrots of various quality, one parsnip ranging in size from 6 to 8 inches long and 1 to 2 inches at the fat end and a swede, some of which could only be described as a tennis ball. The last bag was not that good at all, so if they look a bit ropey, we’ll buy a large swede and a bag of parsnips, prepare the lot, and freeze half for the next stew. I buy jacket potatoes at 50p a kilo (they sell a four pack for £1.19 which is an absolute ripoff as four loose ones the same size cost me about 45p!), carrots regularly, and I have stacks of onions. Last night we remembered to put pulses to soak, so they will pack out the stew and provide more nutrients and fibre.

Our plan for Hubby’s meals are two days stew, two days ‘something else’ (so far we have discovered mashed potatoes, tuna fish, my cauliflower and broccoli cheese and tinned soups are palatable), then another two days stew.  Veggies are good for me too, so I’m not complaining, and it’s not as if I have great hunks of bread and butter with it because I haven’t been eating bread for weeks other than an occasional baguette (synned) with bacon and mushrooms for my lunch. My second helping of frittata yesterday was lovely and I shall definitely make that again.
Just had a call from the Breast Clinic following up on an article Hubby read this morning about the effect the Covid vaccine is having on some cancer patients, causing their lymph nodes to swell. With my jab due on Saturday, forewarned is forearmed and I left a message on their ansafone first thing.
It would appear that this is occurring with some, not all, cancer patients who are still undergoing treatments, and it is not all vaccines that are affecting people this way. My surgery was on the right in October 2019, so all injections, blood tests and BP readings should be taken on the left as a matter of course. The nurse said I should be fine, but obviously if I have any problems, to contact my GP or breast clinic.

The day looks promising so we may well go for a walk before our appointment.
Take care and keep safe everyone.

Thursday photo prompt: Painted #writephoto: a reblog 4th March

This is my choice of reblog this week for Sue’s Write Photo challenge.
I remember gardens with such bridges, each a different theme hidden from view from the next. Tourists came from miles around to walk through the beauty of these gardens and to admire the Koi carp which were HUGE!

pensitivity101

Sue Vincent has given us a fabulous relaxing photograph to work with this week. It reminds me of some spectacular gardens open to the public in my home town.

For visually challenged writers, theimage shows a rather oriental red bridge over a  pool covered with waterlilies and surrounded by trees.

I am the greens of the morning,
So many merge and mingle,
Soft and gentle, rough and hard
I am here for the passage of time.

I am the colours of the evening,
Glorious in the sunset
Casting a magical glow over water
Clear and pure, passing underneath.

I am the bridge to tomorrow,
Knowing it will arrive,
But not what the day may hold,
A mystery to any who alight.

I am a painting in waiting,
From the artist’s eye I will evolve
To be reborn on canvas,
Silent, tranquil and serene.

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Three Things Challenge #527

Welcome to The Three Things Challenge.
Below are three things that may, or may not, be related. Simply read the prompt and see where your creativity takes you.
You can use one, two or all three words in your post, there are no restrictions regarding length, style, or genre apart from keeping it family friendly.
You can use 3TC, #threethingschallenge or TTC as a tag and my logo if you wish.
Invite us along by creating a pingback to this post, then leave your link in the comments so that other people can read your writings and I’ll see it to respond to you directly. You might like to check out some of the other contributions while you’re there.

I schedule the challenge to go out around 6.30 am UK time, but pingbacks have to be approved manually so might not show immediately. This could be because I’m late accessing my blog or due to time differences, but I will get there, I promise!
I look forward to reading your responses, and as always thank you all for your continued support.

Your three things today are:

UNDIGNIFIED
RIDICULOUS
SLID

Today’s card making

I was given some pretty trimmings by our neighbour and for the past few days have been working on how to use them.
Looking through my box of bits and bobs, I discovered my 5 packs of 3D butterflies and  6 sheets of ‘Merry Christmas’ I bought when we went down for my mammogram in November so I don’t think I shall need any for this December! I have some tiered flowers and a few toppers as well so settled down with the cutting board, sticky tape, scissors, scalpel, ruler and tweezers.

First to make was the one for my great niece who will be 10 in August. I used most of the trimmings my neighbour had given me and was quite pleased with the result.
I decided to make two more ‘cuties’ with the remaining bows and came up with these.
Looking at the top one, I think I need to add something to the top right hand corner as it looks a bit empty. I have some diamantes and flower posies, so will see what looks best.

My final card today was a trip down memory lane and I was glad I’d kept the prototype of my first effort for this design.

The hardest bit was working out which way to do the folds so that it would sit flat for posting!

All in all it’s been a good day, but I was badly in need of a walk after my session today as I had stiffened up a treat!!

Friday Fictioneers 5th March

Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is our host for the Friday Fictioneers photo challenge.
This week our picture is provide by Roger Bultot.

One day, somebody would fix it.
For now, the box underneath would have to do.
Why?
Cutbacks.
Seen to be doing……….. but only half the job, and it’s all a front.
Expecting mail?
Try the box as there’s nothing behind the mail boxes apart from the wall.

47 words

One Liner Wednesday March 3rd

I’m combining Fandango’s one word challenge PATTERN today with Linda’s One Liner Wednesday as my train of thought came up with this…………….

Life is one rich tapestry, but for some, there is no pattern to follow.

Today is Wednesday 3rd March

Good morning! Hope your day has started well. Sunny would be nice, but dry and mild will do for us.
It’s overcast today, there is no wind whatsoever, and we have a sea mist dangling. We’ve done the washing anyway and draped it on the rads indoors. We’ve been keeping it down to around three or four days rather than have to take everything up to the launderette. We’ve had no choice on a few occasions,  but our last two washloads dried outside, so we were well pleased with that!

The meters have been read and we are actually down on all three compared to last year!

I intend to have a card making session today as I have a few ideas and some special birthdays coming up. I have cards in reserve, but I like to experiment. Our neighbour gave me some pretty ribbon trimmings that I can hopefully utilise on a card for my great niece who’ll be 10 in August, and another great niece will be 21 in April. I had a card lined up for her already, but it needs a little addition.

Back to the start… again

Wonderful piece, precious memories, time having gone full circle.

Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

“Can we go out for the day together?” asked my younger son. Days are precious because of their uncertainty around here at the moment, but the chance to spend time with my son and granddaughters made the answer one that I did not need to think about. With everywhere closed and covid restrictions in place, it would have to be in the open air and the first place that sprang to mind was Wayland’s Smithy.

We were lucky with the weather… a glorious, if chilly, spring day dawned. A picnic packed to eat in the car and a wheelchair borrowed ‘just in case’. With the girls sharing the back seat with Stuart, we headed off to one of the most iconic ancient sites in the land… and the place where the adventures Stuart and I have shared over the years had begun so long ago. It was to be a…

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Three Things Challenge #526

Welcome to The Three Things Challenge.
Below are three things that may, or may not, be related. Simply read the prompt and see where your creativity takes you.
You can use one, two or all three words in your post, there are no restrictions regarding length, style, or genre apart from keeping it family friendly.
You can use 3TC, #threethingschallenge or TTC as a tag and my logo if you wish.
Invite us along by creating a pingback to this post, then leave your link in the comments so that other people can read your writings and I’ll see it to respond to you directly. You might like to check out some of the other contributions while you’re there.

I schedule the challenge to go out around 6.30 am UK time, but pingbacks have to be approved manually so might not show immediately. This could be because I’m late accessing my blog or due to time differences, but I will get there, I promise!
I look forward to reading your responses, and as always thank you all for your continued support.

Your three things today are:

CAPABLE
CRINGE
REACTION