A Set of Bagpipes

I swear there were ice crystals in my blood this morning :O) Got to work at 9am and the office was freezing. I call it an office, it's a tin box really (or caravan) with a bit of tarting up on the outside to give the impression that it's our holiday park reception. The problem with tin boxes is that in the winter it's freezing & in the summer it's like an oven. Now I don't mind baking when the sun's out but this weather is only for the hardy Northern folk. Of course I used to be one but we have become soft living down in the South :O) Oh well.

Not a lot else to report today on the home front.

HSMSHS said 'Scottish' when I checked the word of the day this morning. I've never been anywhere near Scotland let alone across the border lol. So I asked my trusty Elena who always comes up with something. 'A cow' she said, 'take a photo of a cow'. Feeling very confused & wondering if she had understood what I'd said, I asked her why. 'Well' she said, 'according to Jimmy Clitheroe, all cows have their own set of bagpipes!' You just have to love her for that sense of humour don't you lol. So here it is, just for Elena, a set of bagpipes borrowed from the Internet. Here's my own feeble attempt of a Scottish thistle (Andrew assures me it's a thistle but I'm not convinced).

Italian Fish & Houses

What's up with me? Andrew's running around doing 3 jobs at once & I've barely the energy to climb into bed at night? Maybe I should take Andrew's advice and 'do something'. Can I blame the weather? The time of year? Or is it just procrastination? I have a tonne of housework to do and keep thinking that I will tackle it a room at a time, but by the time I've finished I have to start at the beginning again. Why can't housework be done once a week and leave it at that? I have 3 outstanding jobs as well, a smear test, an eye test & my hair needs cutting. Instead of blogging about it I should just ring up and make the relevant appointments but something inside me doesn't want to. Why is that? I can understand not wanting a smear test ~ who does! I NEED new glasses, I can't see a flippin thing at the moment. Teresa lent me some books to read & the writing is so small I have no chance reading them so clearly something needs to be done. I am a Pisces so could it be something to do with that? Two fish swimming in opposite directions, one saying do this, the other saying no don't. If I believed in such stuff I could convince myself that this is the problem. Where's House when I need him?

Ooo talking of House, just watched the new episode :O) It was another good one! I was a bit confused though because the other day, when I went on the website, it said the new episode would be called 'Let them eat cake'. It wasn't at all, it was Emancipation! (Every time I here that word it makes me think of Bob Marley ~ Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery.) OMG I know what's up with me, I'm having Jamaican withdrawal symptoms PMSL! I digress, House was as brilliant as ever :O)

HSMSHS word today ~ Italian! All I'm going to say is this is as Italian as we get in this house ~ dried pasta lol. Just been outside and the sun is out! The thermometer is reading 15o ... and the skies are pure blue ...I'm off now to get me boots full lol ~ byeee!

I'm back :O) with my boots well and truly full of gorgeous weather & sunshine ...

Bring Me Sunshine

We have had such a rubbish summer weather wise that it amazes everyone when the clouds disappear & the sun comes out. Today we have had sunshine for 3 days in a row ~ OMG!! 3 consecutive days. Some of the flowers have stood up to the wind & rain like this beautiful Dahlia but there is evidence of the damage the rain & windhas caused, around the garden. Nothing on Floridian Hurricane damage of course but damage none the less. The mud splattered up the plant pots & petals all over the floor. And the rope that tied up the now dishevelled & broken gazebo. But the sun is shinning :O) Casting shadows over the freshly cut lawn :O) And it's warm ~ just like it should be.Lisa asked me to post some photos of her room when she had moved out. She tidied it all up before she left so here it is, in all its glory. Much different to how it looked a week ago but in her defence she was trying to get both her & Liam organised for Uni. The best thing about her being in her own house is that she has her own phone, not a mobile that eats your money but a proper landline. We've talked for ages tonight about what she's been up to & what her plans are for tomorrow. The best thing of all she's coming home with Liam for the weekend. Just brilliant!!

Isle of Wight Bestival

So Tillet, Steve and all their friends have gone to the IOW Bestival today ~ camping!!! Now normally that wouldn't be a problem apart from the weather. It is tipping it down, cold & windy. This is our garden this morning and the view from Elena's room in the loft. Poor things are going to be up to their knees in mud. We have the police staying with us at the caravan site who work at the Bestival. Last night one of the police officers said it was a complete disaster. They have 8 vehicles on the site & all of them were up to their axles in mud. They have had to call out a haulage company to rescue their cars/vans!!!

Steve has promissed to send me some photos when he gets back on Monday ~ watch this space:O)

I Think It's November

Are you sure it's summer? People have been checking in today with coats on!! One poor lady stood and shivered while I explained the way to her caravan & we've had cardigans on over our uniform to keep us warm. I think it reached 16 degrees this afternoon but felt more like 10 in the wind & rain. I know who's hogging all the heat & sunshine ~ Florida. Yes, in Florida it's HOT isn't it Chris, and it's just not fair LOL :O)

Gemma was going to take Elena & Jake to Robin Hill today but couldn't because of the rain so instead she took them to Amazon World. I think they had a good time.

End of Term

Isn't it cold! Could someone please explain to the person in charge of the weather that it's JULY!!! I remember the summers being really long and warm if not hot on occasions so what the flippin heck has happened? Came in from work tonight, had tea & really fancied some chocolate. I know I shouldn't, I'm supposed to be eating healthy stuff but I really wanted some. So Andrew & I walked down to the Spar shop & I had to put my coat on! I have trousers, socks, shoes, t-shirt & a work shirt on and a coat!! Hello it's supposed to be summer. Now I've taken my coat off I'm sat here in a towelling dressing gown over my clothes just to keep warm. It'll be snowing next lol.

I had a text message today from Gemma saying she has been given more hours at work now Richard (her colleagues) left. She sounded happy which is all that matter's. Lisa has her theory driving test again tomorrow so I hope she passes for her sake. Elena has one more week at school and that's it. When she goes back it will be to Sandown High School.
It sounds as if she will have fun next week with all the activities lined up for them including a leavers assembly and a day out on the mainland to Poole in Dorset. I have to work all weekend because it's the first week of the school holidays (for the children on the mainland). Andrew's nearly finished decorating the spare room, just needs the door glossing and a new carpet. I would rather we put the money towards a Wii but Andrew wants to finish the room with a new carpet so I don't know how that one's going to pan out? The old carpet is OK but the wrong colour & how much fun would everyone get from a new carpet? A Wii on the other hand sounds a like a lot more fun :O) Watch this space.

Bloxors Genius

Anita over at HS:MS has started everyone off playing a very addictive game called Bloxorz. We're all complaining that we are stuck on a certain level or other but Elena's completed it in 2 days, all 33 levels!! OMG she's a genius ~ lol :O) I'm sat at the computer scratching my head and she says you do this this and this and it's done. She's just amazed me!
This afternoon Elena's started making a weather station so I hope in a few days we'll have some photos of what the weather's doing outside :O) Look what opened up in the garden on this dark, grey, miserable, wet day :O) Doesn't it make you just want to smile :O) Apart from working, going to Shanklin, hoovering, washing, making a menu for next week & writing a shopping list that's all we've done.

What's In A Name :O)

I thought I would post my beautiful TY beanie bear on my blog for all to see. Isn't she beautiful :O)She's very special as my cousin Chris sent it to me from Florida where she lives :O) Not only that, she's called 'VANDA' ~ how cool is that! When I was young I used to visit places like Blackpool a lot and all my school friends would buy pens & mugs etc. with their names on them. Have you ever tried finding anything with 'Vanda' on it? It's impossible until TY bought out this gorgeous beanie bear. Both the material tag & the paper one say Vanda {grin}. She's called Vanda because it's the national flower of Singapore, hence the embroidered orchid on her chest :O)Today I received an e-mail from my cousin Chris in Florida, telling me about the impending hurricane that's about to hit one of my favourite places in the world ~ Jamaica. Apparently it's a Catergory 4 hurrican (Katrina was a catergory 3)! I hope and pray that no-one will be hurt!

Broken Gazebo

Every year at the beginning of summer we put our gazebo up on the patio so we can shelter from the sun in the middle of the day. Not only that, it helps to shade the conservatory and stops it getting too hot. Andrew has screwed it to the floor and guy ropes hold it in place. Last year we eat lots of meals alfresco and life was great :O) We got home today from a trip to Newport (in the rain) and the wind was so strong it had dismantled the poor gazebo and broken some of the plastic joints. The metal poles are OK but the cover has a few small rips in it which can hopefully be mended. This weather is certainly freaky. Nevermind, at least we've not experienced the flooding like some places on the mainland.
We had to go to the bank to set up an account for Lisa so she can have her wages paid in so we had a look round Matalan and came out with 3 T-Shirts for £9.00 ~ what a bargain :O)
I spotted these from the window today and ran outside in between showers. I'm not liking the weather at all but my Victoria Plums do. Can't wait to start eating these juicy babies ~ I adore Victoria Plums :O) Oooo Eerrr Elena's been at it again :O) Look, she's made some gorgeous cheese straws and taken a photo for me blog ~ thank you Elena xXx

Winter's Back :O(

It's not cold. I'm sat at the computer in the dining room with the back door and some upstairs windows open and the thermometer is still reading 21 degrees. It's windy though and the sky looks really angry and I'm sure we're in for some more rain again today. This is my washing line this morning ... Keeping my fingers, legs, toes, arms & eyes crossed that we're back to summer tomorrow because it's the first of the peak week change over days at the holiday park and you can guarantee the customers whinge & whine about everything if the weather's bad ~ joy to the world!!
On a much brighter & happier note, Lisa has got the job she applied for at the Co-op in Lake. Way to go Lisa :O)
Elena finished school at 12:50 so we went, as promised, to Newport to buy some modelling balloons & a pump. She's got 100 balloons so it should keep her busy for a bit ~ LOL! We visited the Library whilst we were there because she wanted to sign up for the Big Wild Read Summer Challenge. She bought home 3 books on Modelling Balloons ~ LOL!
Gemma & Liam are working hard today in preperation for the release of the new Harry Potter book tomorrow :O)