Grandma P's Ramblings Through Life

Tired!
Maybe fighting an approaching bug!
But it has been a good day.

We were out by about 7 o'clock.
It was cold at Ford - probably hardly above freezing. Even with gloves our fingers felt very cold.
Each of us found something to buy. Ashley has quite a pile of books, CDs etc.
Ecky found things that pleased her and Bill and I have a bit to sell on.
We also bought 2 large crisp white bed sheets.
I was very pleased with an item that is to keep. It is a souvenir jug from Blackboys.
This is not some place in the deep south of the USA, as some might have thought. It is a Sussex village - and is where my grandfather was born.

We breakfasted at Wetherspoons - so it seemed did half of Littlehampton. We had to wait rather too long for our food.
But it was worth the wait.

We then walked back to the car via the charity shops and added to the morning's purchases.

The morning was already over, so we drove along the sea front and then drove home.

And now for a couple of pictures of what maybe was the best buy of the day - certainly in Ekatarina's eyes.
She talked to me as we went round about the modern porcelain dolls which are in the style of older dolls.
At one point we were at a stall where the house clearance man was selling things cheaply and he had a boxed porcelain doll.
I mentally decided that £3 was the maximum we would spend on it.
So, we gulped with pleasure when he said he wanted only 50p.

Labels: family

I have lost my computer!
A 9 year old girl is satisfying all her wishes and whims on my machine.
What fun!
Ecky did a little art work and saved it in a new folder - didn't have to tell her how to do that, of course.
Then I wondered how to put this picture into our photo album - save it as a short cut, then you can copy and paste, she said.
Seemed to work.

The day was spent preparing for their visit - yes, it is not just Ecky. Ashley is here too of course.
We shopped till we dropped this morning, buying good food and goodies for the week ahead.

So, all is well.

Except that we received some sad news today.
My Aunty Vera died. She was my mother's older sister.
I stayed with her and Uncle Jack when I was a child.
I loved them.

Right, at least one of us now has PJs on - it is 10 o'clock and about time 9 year olds were in bed.
But Grandma has different rules than home rules.
It is also nearly time 60 year olds were in their bed.
We plan to be up at 6 o'clock to go to Ford.
Then we will have breakfast and maybe stroll on the beach for a while.

We are going family visiting later in the day.

Labels: family

We spent nearly all day at Pilgrims Antiques.

My task was to dismantle my January sale and then move things around to have zones of my area themed, neat and interesting.

I had taken some empty folding boxes to hold all the unsold sale items - these will try their luck at a car boot sale in the summer.
Then I began moving things around.
I also swept the floor, which makes things look a lot better too.
I am very pleased. There are a few pictures to follow.

But I was not the only one sorting things. Hilary saw that there is now an empty cabinet and she asked if she could swap her cabinet for the empty one, because hers is a bit fragile.
Hilary sells lovely jewellery and has just one cabinet.
She asked if Bill could help her out with moving things and the electrics. We all have lamps to lighten our areas.
I suspect Bill will end up with a need for anti inflammatory drugs - too much bending, lifting and stretching.

By the time all this was done it was well gone 3 o'clock.

We drove home via Horley. Thursday afternoons and evenings is Curry Club at all Wetherspoons pubs.
There are 10 different curries on offer on Thursdays.
The price, as ever, is very reasonable and includes a drink.
Bill had a lamb curry, which he said was good.
You don't expect lots of fulsome praise from Bill!
But I was just overjoyed by the quality of mine - sweet potato, chick pea and spinach curry in coconut milk. It was wonderful.
I look forward to having it again.

Now for just a few pictures.

Pride of place in my 1950s section has gone to the fabulous bag I bought last weekend.



Even within my 1950s area I keep to themes - this shelf is mostly red and black.


These mostly green items come from several eras - 1930s to 1970s.

I have really enjoyed browsing through old photos in the last few days. On Sunday I searched for pictures of sports hall athletics.
Jamie faced booked them and others from his generation have been taken down memory lane too.
Jamie asked for more and so did others.
So, today I put 5 more onto Facebook - both Jamie and Ashley. I found I could name quite a lot of names of boys in the photos - but then many of them had been in my class at Southgate West School.

But did I really want to be reminded of life in the classroom?
Last night I was caught up in one of my most common dream themes - education.
I am always in situations where I can feel the spider's web trapping me ever more tightly and seeing no escape - only shame that I have completely failed to be what I once thought I ought to be.
My dreams always have me at some deadline point and I have not done whatever project should have been done.
Sometimes it is a college project; other times it is something I should have done for a staff meeting.
I want to run away - but where do I run to?

It is possible that some of my ex pupils might read this. I want to assure you that it was never the fault of you or any of the other children that caused me to feel such hell.
I really enjoyed buidling relationships with children.
I was just an unhappy square peg in a round hole.
My fault!
I should have been able to sort out where my talents lay and followed through on them instead of being gently manipulated into directions that I should not have gone in.

But no matter - I shall continue to look through old photographs and publish on facebook as many as I can find that would be worthwhile.

Where shall I start with news of the day?

I must tell you that there is a thin covering of snow on the ground. And it feels really chilly in the easterly wind.

This afternoon we spent some time in B & Q. I had sent Bill down on his own this morning, but decisions had to be made and I really should have accompanied him first time. But I had done my best to avoid the B&Q experience!
We have ordered wood flooring for the kitchen/dining room/study.
I look forward to the work being finished and I am sure I will be pleased. I don't know when that will be - we will have to tie things up with Michael, who is coming to lay it for us.
Bill could do it. But his rheumatoid arthritis needs consideration and often quite small tasks leave him troubled.
Just to add to the excitement of the afternoon we also looked at loos!
The one we had fitted when we had the new bathroom is not good enough. It doesn't flush as well as it needs to. Gipping flut and all that!

I have just been contacted by an EBay buyer - he has received the wrong book. Oh no - I must have sent his book to somebody else and 2 books are in the wrong place. It isn't actually as complicated as that - I sent him an unsold book and I have the one he wants here. I can post it in the morning first class and he will get it very quickly after the wrong one.
Ebay is throwing me some problems at the moment.
My lovely 1950s coffee table has not arrived. I am sad.
I have now refunded the money and next week I will be able to put in a claim to Royal Mail. You have to wait at least 15 days after the expected date of delivery.
Even if it turns up now it will be a complication - and maybe I will never know if the buyer didn't tell me so.

The vet has informed us that George should increase his medication. We don't have to double the dose. It will be one week on one pill a day and then the next week on 2 pills a day. He will have another blood test in 6 months.

And that is that.
Good night.

There was a certain amount of inconvenience about today.
Bill and I were both due to have hair cuts at the local shop. In total it required 3 trips to the hair salon to get our new neat hair.
Rob, my hairdresser had washed my hair. Suddenly I realised that my hair was not the only wet part of me that needed attention.
There was nothing for it except to hurry home - quicker and more reliable than trying to deal with it at the shop.
Bill went back half an hour later - and I returned this afternoon.
I know there are new followers of this blog - I am not going into all the gory details. If you want to know what is now a part of my life then google the word "urostomy".

I felt mentally a bit empty for a while. I have had too many reminders just lately that all is not normal, however hard I try to make it so.

But I did get on with the Pilgrims Antiques Blog. That felt like fun.
http://pilgrimsantiquesweststreetdorking.blogspot.com/

After lunch we had an appointment to take George to the vet. We read on posters on the waiting room wall that thyroid problems hit about 1 % of middle aged to elderly cats.
The plan was that he would have another blood test and then future medication can be discussed.
The vet felt him all over and he feels sure that George is doing very well. But he has lost a bit more weight - only 200 grams in 6 months.
It will only need tablets to keep him going.
I had been rehearsing on the way there how I would deal with the vet suggesting some surgery. It won't happen. George's heart has been broken by a stay at the vets once before and I won't do that to him at this later stage of his life.
Tomorrow we will get the results of the blood test and will know if he ought to be on one tablet or two each day.
George takes the tablets very easily now. All Bill has to do is rattle the pill pot and George goes to the sofa and waits.

I am a bit gutted by news from an EBay customer that the lovely red and black 1950s coffee table has gone missing. I am still hoping it could arrive tomorrow. But then I shall have to give a refund.
I shall change my instructions so that unless the buyer pays a little extra for recorded delivery when items have a value of more than £25 I will not be responsible for the failures of the postal service. Failures are actually very few.
Mostly I am very sad because I loved that table and enjoyed the buying of it at a car boot sale in Canterbury when we were on holiday last October.

Now for a bit of fun - pictures of twins.

George and Harry are twins - now almost 14 years old.
The picture below shows them cuddling up just before we took G to the vet.
I can't believe that George had actually understood our words when we spoke together about the vets. But he really had been behaving insecurely all morning.


George is on the left. Harry, on the right.

Its OK - you are safe. There really are not two of me!
But Bill has made it seem so.

This was on a walk at Tilgate Lake some time ago.

Labels: home and daily life

Monday evening - and almost as tired as last night!

Today has been full of activity in the shop, despite the rotten weather.
There has been snow, sleet and rain and a chilly wind.
It was not at all pleasant as I walked along to the post office with some EBay parcels.

I did a quick tidy up of my shelves. I took very little fresh in because I have decided that on Thursday I will make an extra trip to Dorking to pack up my January sale and arrange everything else differently.

Then I set up my little photographic studio - black card for a background leaning against things on the back counter.
I had been working on doing something, for this week's blog posting, connected with birds - St Valentine's Day being the traditional date for the birds' weddings.
That was obviously a bit narrow - not enough on other shelves to make it interesting.
Suddenly I was singing "Birds do it, Bees do it, Even educated fleas do it...."
So the theme for the shop blog this week will be "Lets Fall in love".
Nobody could provide any educated fleas though!

I look forward to sorting it out tomorrow.

Sales have been good today. We were busy chatting with and helping customers.
My sales during last week have also been good - it was Bill's turn to face the disappointment of a poor week.
I have sold 30 items from my Grand January Sale - 30 things not to take and sell at a car boot sale in the summer.
There has been little profit in these sales of course, but pleasing nevertheless.

Tomorrow we have appointments - hair cuts in the morning and George to the vet in the afternoon. He might just carry on with tablets for his thyroid problem as before - well, I am sure he will. But I expect the vet will choose to do a blood test first - all extra money in their coffers! George is still thin, but actually quite healthy and whatever a blood test said I would not permit anything other than the tablets.

Time for a cup of tea. And an early night maybe.

Sunday evening!

Labels: athletics

Up at 6 o'clock - and what a struggle that seemed!

It was dry. So, we looked forward to being at Ford for the car boot sale.
As we passed through the South Downs area drizzle fell, increasingly harder - and we wondered if we were wasting our time.

But all was good. The rain stopped.
We were slow to find things that we wanted at first.
But gradually the shopping trolley was filled and I found myself prepared to part with money.
It wasn't very warm and I regretted not having my gloves with me.

At about 10 o'clock we were off for our breakfast. We went to Wetherspoon's again - mainly because we had to stop in the town to post parcels. Having got chilly we were not sure if we wanted a walk by the sea.

But as we ate - just the small breakfast this week - the clouds cleared, skies became blue and the sun shone.

So, we went to the beach for a while. The tide was out - and it goes out a long way on the flat beach at Littlehampton.

We did notice that our friends who run the Balaton cafe have opened up after their 3 month break - so no doubt we will be back with them for Saturday breakfasts.

This afternoon I have sorted all my purchases and I look forward to getting them into the shop. I shall do this when I dismantle my sale, which I plan to do on Thursday.
I am looking forward to rearranging and having lots of things I am proud of for the customers to see.

And now for a few pictures......


The wide expanse of beach at low tide at Littlehampton.
Those ridges fascinate me.


The tide was coming in and I titled this one "Home on the Tide"
That's the River Arun on the right.



Shell on the sand.
I am not sure why Bill opted to focus on a broken mussel shell.
I am sure, as it's art, there is a deep philosophical significance!



The sun was shining over the sea and Bill enhanced it with a facility on a photographic programme.
I suggest you enlarge this one with a click of the mouse to see the full effect.



I always like to have pictures with us in them.
I normally have to remind Bill that it is a good idea.




And finally a picture taken in the kitchen this afternoon of some of the things I bought.



I so love that bag - it just couldn't be more 1950s in style.
The horse and foal at the front are by Wade and is a limited edition piece - limited to just 250.
The Swarovski heart pendant should have been in my shop blog last week for St. Valentine's Day. Swarovski items are ridiculously expensive I think - this pendant is on sale in the manufacturer's shop for £68. Come and buy it for half that in Pilgrims.

I wonder what we will find tomorrow at Dorking. Another morning and another adventure.

Labels: shop and stock, Sussex

I feel really tired - but then I feel a bit of negativity creeping in.
There is no good reason for it.
But I shall ask my happy pills to respond!
Probably I haven't done enough over the last few days - not achieved enough.
It will feel very good to go out to the Ford car boot sale in the morning.

I should have got out today - the sun shone for a while.
I was not actually very busy with other things.
I did send out the invoices for a few items that Bill has sold today on EBay.
He had 2 model cars by Schuco and one in particular set off a bidding war. Bill assumed when he listed these cars that he would be happy just to get his money back - but he has actually added to the holiday fund.

Another reason for feeling tired might be over nibbling today.
And now I just feel very over full.
Its an uncomfortable feeling for a lovely reason.
We were just finishing our dinner - larger than I really needed - when the door bell rang.
Bill's brother Michael and wife Beverley were there. Beverley has been cake making and brought one round for us.
So the kettle went on and we tucked into this wonderful cake made with carrot, banana, walnuts etc and with icing on the top. A real luxurious gateaux!
I have cut much of it into slices and put the wrapped slices in the freezer.
This at least will ration us a little.

I did a spend a while on the family.
It has been so long that I have done very much that I really need a thorough revision time to remember all that I have ever done.
What a shame when the open day was on at Horne church that I had not absorbed that an ancestor on the paternal grandmother side of the Monk family had been married there.
We checked out the Monk marriage and ignored a Godfrey marriage that had taken place not all that long before.
I wonder where all the Godfreys are. None of Bill's family seem to have had any memories of their aunts and uncles - the brothers and sisters of Bill's grandmother Louisa. Perhaps once she became a Monk she hardly saw her own family.
I now know more about them it seems than any family members have known before.
Granny Monk's sister had an illegitimate son. I assume the father might have been an Archibald Tomlin - those were the christian names he was given in 1890. Granny Monk would have known the boy - she was 12 when he was born.

Well, lets stop rambling. I don't think I need any supper!
I think it will be time for bed soon.
Goodnight.