Today is #TBT, Throwback Thursday, and of course I love looking at Pictures. One of my jobs during the decluttering is to tidy our existing photo albums and make sure I have written in all of them but we also have a clip box full of pictures from DH’s family and also from my family. My intention is to get them put into photo albums and write who they are on them for our Boys. We got DH’s father to write on the back of the pictures who everyone was, after I inherited my family pictures I can guess who some of them are but quite a few I don’t know them at all. They are all obviously related to me but not where they are in the family tree.
Anyway one of the best inventions over the recent years has been digital photographs so we can store them on the computer and of course look at them when we want to. Below are a selection of pictures taken during March, April & May between 2006 and 2010 when the Boys were between 10 & 6 to 14 & 10!
The above three were taken in Scotland around the Easter holidays.
This was in London in 2009 on the London Eye.
This one above is on the Pirates of The Carribbean Ride in Disney World 2008
The above one is at our Villa in 2010, the year of the Ash Cloud! You can tell they are swimmers!
We loved going away with the Boys at the Easter holidays. It was a great time to go because Christmas was always so busy and at Easter the weather was getting better and we were ready for the break. It also worked out well being about three months between Christmas and Easter and then three months between Easter and the summer holiday in Scotland and then three months between that and Christmas. As they got older we have not been so much, only on odd occasions and we are not going this year but maybe next, we shall see.
Coco also came home in April 2022 and this is how tiny she was!!! I cannot believe that she was ever that small!
Happy Thursday everyone. Today I have home jobs to do and shopping and tomorrow I have a Birthday cake to make and also have a day off as it has been a hectic few weeks and the weekend is due to be busy again as well.
The previous week and this have been so busy with work and family things, including a visit to the Dentist this morning!!! So hopefully tomorrow and next week I will be back to a post a day. I hope, if you are celebrating Thanksgiving, you have a lovely day wherever you are. Although it is not our holiday I am very Thankful for my family who I love to bits.
Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx
(NB. For Susan & Tara; I have sent you a few emails but not sure you have got them, let me know. Susie)
The face of innocence or butter wouldn’t melt and all that! Well last night or should I say 3.00am this morning Coco turned into :
She started howling! She even managed to wake DH which is usually impossible. She was quite obviously dreaming but oh boy! Our other Airedales have been quite vocal but Coco is definitely a step above the others, she is not in the same league as Huskies of course but this howl was really spooky and quite eery. She was actually asleep in her bed next to our bed but when she woke herself up she got on our bed next to DH and of course both of them went back to sleep. Me, awake until the alarm went off at 4.30am!
Speaking of which the company we work with in Nottingham (also the company we work with in Derbyshire as well) have decided to work longer days Monday to Thursday and then have Friday off. This is due to a bit of a slow down with work in the run up to Christmas and to change the fact that on a Friday they come in just for the morning and then go home at lunch and then work on Saturday morning until lunch. It may all change again once the New Year is here but they are giving it a try. However it means that I am now getting up at 4.30am Today was the first day and having been awake since 3.00am was not too much of a shock although I did go into my sewing room to sort a few bits out and then found myself sitting staring into space for about fifteen minutes! The only thing I will say is that I will be able to get a lot of jobs done but have decided to shower and wash my hair in the evenings now, instead of first thing in the morning, as that is far too much stress and rushing around at 4.00am!
November 5th Bonfire Night
Remember, remember! The fifth of November, The Gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot! Guy Fawkes and his companions Did the scheme contrive, To blow the King and Parliament All up alive. Threescore barrels, laid below, To prove old England’s overthrow. But, by God’s providence, him they catch, With a dark lantern, lighting a match! A stick and a stake For King James’s sake! If you won’t give me one, I’ll take two, The better for me, And the worse for you. A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope, A penn’orth of cheese to choke him, A pint of beer to wash it down, And a jolly good fire to burn him. Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring! Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King! Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray!
The above is from around 1870 but the actual Gunpowder Plot was in 1605 and was to try and blow up Parliament and especially King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) who became King after Queen Elizabeth I. The Conspirators; Robert Catesby, John & Christopher Wright, Robert & Thomas Wintour, Thomas Percy, Guy Fawkes, Robert Keyes, Thomas Bates, John Grant, Ambrose Rookwood, Sir Everard Digby and Frances Tresham. They were unhappy with the lack of religious tolerance for English Catholics which of course all stemmed from Henry VIII turning away from the Catholic Church when the Pope would not give him a divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, to marry Anne Boleyn.
The Conspirators idea was to kill King James, Parliament and with it a lot of the Protestant families and Privy Council of the country and install King James’ daughter, Princess Elizabeth as a Catholic Queen figurehead. Guy Fawkes is the name that everyone remembers through history, who had been in the army during several conflicts in Europe and was used to handling gun powder. He was a staunch Catholic committed to the cause. However through various letters and people reporting to the King about the plot the Conspirators were found out and all captured. After trials they were all hanged but because of how audacious the plot was, it became very much a part of British history.
So on November 5th each year we celebrate the fact that Guy Fawkes failed to light the 36 barrels of gun powder under Parliament, with fireworks. We are fortunate that Coco does not mind the fireworks and any of the loud bangs she just barks at. Blaze was okay although he was not keen on the loud bangs. The big orgnised fireworks mostly took place at the weekend so tonight will be local and family events. We decided we were not going to do any this year, but may do next year when Little Man is older.
If you are attending or having your own Fireworks, stay safe and have a wonderful evening. The weather is supposed to be cold and misty tonight but at least no rain. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have watched fireworks being let off whilst sheltering under an umbrella or getting soaked!
It has been chaos at our home over the last few weeks! SO the Halloween decorations only got put up today! Still better late than never!
It is not raining here which is a good thing and it is the children’s Half Term Holiday so we are hoping for some Trick or Treat Visitors! Youngest & Girlfriend are on door duty, Coco is in her crate watching the door and Blaze is tucked up in bed! I am busy making Lasagna, salad and chips for dinner!!!!
I hope you have a wonderful spooky Halloween. I will be tucked up later watching some horror movies! Happy Halloween you lovely lot.
The children here in Derbyshire went back to school today, no doubt much to the relief of their parents. Although I used to hate our Boys going back to school as I loved having them at home on holiday and especially as all the out of school activities also started again; Piano lessons, Scouts, Swimming etc. Anyway I thought, as it is Throwback Thursday, I would show you my Boys when Youngest first went to Primary school in Reception Class at five years old (almost six) and Eldest was ten and in Year Six in 2005.
Yesterday was a busy day as I was at Eldest’s garage all day and didn’t get back until after 6.00pm. Today I had to go and have a blood test done at 7.10am and then when I got back have been working all day and tomorrow will be home jobs day and get the ironing done so on Saturday I can get on with my quilting. I know don’t faint some quilting done for a quilting blog (!) although I will not be able to show any of it to you as it is for Christmas!!!!!
Coco didn’t want to miss out on #TBT so here is a puppy picture of her from 2022 when she was four months old.
It is, of course, the time of year where the machines are very busy in the fields getting the harvests in and one of the nice things about this time of year is after the harvests they, where we live, have ploughing matches on the newly havested fields. DH and I, if we have a spare weekend, try and go. These pictures were from 2018 and our home County of Nottinghamshire. They also have produce and livestock shows as well.
Also other competitions take place like carriage driving (a favourite sport of the late Prince Philip)
Happy Thanksgiving to All My American Friends & Followers
Although this is not a Holiday in the UK, I am very Thankful for my family; DH, Eldest, Girlfriend & Bump, Youngest & Girlfriend & Coco. Our extended Family, Judy & Lars, Elaine, Jackie & Neil. My very good friends Jayne and Family, Sue & Molly & Susan & Tara. Our friends who have become our Family; Dave & Carol, Anne & Chris, Val & Dave, Chris & Pete, Pat & Alan, Tricia & Kevin. Also Del & Tony and Helen & Ted, friends from work.
I hope those that do celebrate Thanksgiving have a lovely Day and long weekend and don’t get too tired shopping all the Black Friday deals!!!
I blink and I miss a week! I don’t know where last week went but I do know it was chaos (Warning Picture Heavy Post!)
DH and I had a lovely time in London. We went down on Thursday November 9th and met a friend for lunch and then had dinner in Covent Garden, which was all decked out for Christmas.
An old bus transformed into a Gin Bar outside the Transport Museum at Covent Garden. I am reliably informed by DH that this is the sort of bus he and his friends went to school on!
The decorations inside one of the halls in Covent Garden, they are different every year.
There were some musicians playing classical music when we arrived and we thought it would be great whilst we got a coffee, until the woman arrived to sing Opera, she was not very good!
This is a display window of an old fashioned toy store which actually covers up the fire fighting equipment!
This was above where we sat with our coffee, it reminded me of a Christmas Minion! We sent it to the Boys!
Thursday evening we ate dinner in Covent Garden at Brown’s.
Which is next door to the Noel Coward Theatre.
This is one of hundred’s of pubs across London but just in Covent Garden.
Friday we had a nice relaxing day. We did pop out to do a bit if Christmas shopping and went to my favourite store, Fortnum & Mason who were also ready for Christmas.
It was busy but not as busy as it will be nearer to the big day! Sometimes you cannot move in the store for people!
Saturday was the day we were going to see the Harry Potter Play, which starts where the last film ended. However there was going to be a huge demonstration in the capital on the Saturday, part of which was going pass the end of the road that our hotel is on. We decided to leave at 11.30am to get to the theatre for the performance at 2.00pm just in case. Good job we did as we were not far from where we were going when three police vans pulled up along side the taxi and lots of Police came pouring out heading in the direction we were going! It did not last long and the road opened again but well it always happens to DH and I.
There as this little pub just across the road from the theatre so we had a drink and snack in there until it was time to queue to get in.
It was a typical London pub!
Because of the Stop Oil people invading the stage at one of the other theatres, we had to have our bags searched thoroughly, we were then wanded and our tickets checked before we even got in the theatre! The Play is split into two parts so we went to the afternoon performance, went round the corner to a lovely Italian restaurant for dinner and then back to the theatre for the evening performance!
Was it worth it? Yes we liked the play although DH thought it was a bit long winded. What was very good were the special effects to create the “magic”. Very hard to do live but so easy to do on film with CGI. It was a long day and we didn’t get back to the hotel until 10.00pm.
We had tea by the fire.
Sunday was of course Rememberance Sunday and we watched on TV but could here the Guns and band from the hotel which was great. We left the hotel afterwards when the roads had re-opened.
Eldest was on parade with the Fire Service in Ashbourne where he is an on-call fire fighter. We said when we saw this that he looks about twelve with the hat on!!!
It was back down to earth with a bump on Monday morning with work and everything else that needed doing. It is always the same when you have a holiday! Last week flew by work. Jayne and I got to have lunch on Tuesday which was very nice but the rest of the week was busy with work. The weekend DH was at Matlock swimming pool for a swimming open both days. I got quite a bit done but still need to finish some jobs off. As DH told everyone at the Open yesterday it is only five weeks to Christmas! OMG!!!!
Have a wonderful week you lovely lot!
Hugs & Love, Susie xx
PS Coco is not here for the next two weeks, she is on her holidays too, as the plumbers started today doing the new bathroom! I cannot wait although I think it is going to be a long two weeks!!!
