2007! (Bye bye last year)

The end of the year, a line drawn under a year of upheavel, a house move (finally!!) new job, loss of job, another new job - loss of two dear grandmothers....... all done.

Now. 2007 almost afraid to think of what it holds. Any guesses?

Happy New year everyone.

I hope it's been Happy...

To all who drop by, I hope you've been spending a Happy Christmas.

Prison Break!

Actually slightly misleading heading there - a feeble attempt at humor.

This morning we discovered an empty cage - Pinsley, Joy's beloved (actually beloved by us all) hamster had gnawed a hole in her cage and was on the loose!

Robin and I kept it to ourselves while we checked through toy boxes and art materials, in amongst teddies and Playmobil but alas - no furry friend. It was Robin who noticed the detail on the bottom of Joy's drawers looks remarkably like mouse holes, and when we shone the torch into the gloom we found our wondering hammie. Looking very much like a furball, all fast asleep in a hastily made nest of bits and bobs.

After her nightime adventure it was impossible to wake her so the drawers were lifted up to reveal her hiding place, she looked up at us all surprised and innocent.

Not wanting to risk the now unsecure cage she had to nap in her carry case (very small) all day until the lovely Stratton's gave us a cage that had recently been vacated - we did attempt to buy one, but it being boxing day, everywhere was shut!

We have one rather confused hamster now, wandering around in her new place, no doubt figuring out how to escape from this one already. What fun.

Where have all the presents gone?

Having recently lost Nana, I have found I've lost my focus as far as Christmas is concerned. So I was left with three key presents to buy in the first week of December.

Not really a big problem. Most of the other gifts were bought already, and many wrapped as well.

WRONG!!

It seems like many more people have resorted to doing their Christmas shopping online - and early. I had very clear ideas of what I wanted, and I thought I knew where I was going to find these mystery items - but all but one were out of stock, or unavailable. And the one I did find did not have the suitable accessories. So I have spent hours trawling through the WWW searching for these items (really can't divulge what they are you understand!!!!) And with very little success.

What I've ended doing is spending a lot more for one, abandoning another for a different gift, and finally coming up with the right accessory for the only one I could find.

Be warned, popular items are out of stock already. This is not the year for stumbling across the right presents at the last minute.

We've lost Nana - but precious memories remain

Heidi has already posted on Spacebats about the loss we are feeling in my family since my Nana died in Sunday, she expressed so eloquently some of the qualities that made her so special.

I thought I would share a few memories/thoughts I've been having as I have been thinking about her part in my life. Firstly I must point out that her influence was not always good, it was her after all who introduced dishwashers to the Watkins family, and I'm finding it VERY hard to be without mine just now!

Secondly, I'll always associcate Fuchsia plants with her garden whilst I was little, I remember Grandad being slightly annoyed at my sisters and I for popping the buds before they bloomed - though Nana did seem to understand this fascination a bit better. Their garden was fabulous.

I loved that she embraced Robin, Mark and Ciaran as they joined our family, she made them all feel special and welcome, and it was precious to her we'd found such fantastic husbands - this was so important to her, probably because she had been so happily married to my grandad until his death, and she always wanted best for us.

And where would I be if she had not brought my Dad into the world? (well, not here I guess!) I think that Nana's influence helped shape him into such a tremendous father for us, and father figure for so many others. Although she was always quick to keep his feet firmly on the ground by telling us stories about his tearaway days!

I'm so sad to have lost her, but so happy is now at peace, the struggle with her body is over and we are free to enjoy the memories of when she was not in pain, or struggling with her health.