Packing it all in….

This year (fingers crossed) we intend to have a packed year full of excursions, holidays and visits to places I have never been in my entire life. One of the reasons I never hanker about going abroad is the simple fact that  there are lot’s of places in the United Kingdom that I have never set foot in but have longed to do so. As my long term future on this planet is not certain, I intend to fill some of my remaining time visiting all those areas of our beautiful country that my meagre income will allow. This means of course, adopting a single mindedness about saving diligently and not wasting a penny on items of little consequence. 

One area that I have always wanted to visit is Cornwall. It’s lure for me personally is partly its lore (King Arthur) its breath-taking scenery and I plan to take numerous photos of everything I see whilst there. We will be staying in a mobile home which will be used as a base for our daily visits to such delights as Tintagel, Lands End, St Ives, Carbis Bay and St Michaels Mount. I would love to visit every wonderful place there is in Cornwall, but there will be obviously time restraints on just how much we can cram into a weeks visit and how much our money will stretch to of course!

The artist in me will want to sit down with an easel and paint brush no doubt, but my trusty camera will have to suffice instead. I love the photos of those quaint  fishing villages dotted about, and I’m intrigued by the numerous caves seen along the coves and beaches. Just how much we will be able to investigate is open to question and how much our aching feet can stand of course. One activity I don’t see us taking part in is surfing, though we might try some horse riding if there are stables near by. By the time the holiday ends and we return home, I shall probably need a week in bed in order to recuperate!

The other area of the British Isles that I have never set foot in is Wales. We plan to rectify that shortly in March when we join a day excursion on a Compass Tours train to Wales, aptly named the Welsh Mountaineer. This excursion will be taking us through some of the most picturesque welsh countryside where we will be travelling through the heart of Wales and following  the route of the River Teme to Offa’s Dyke, Llandrindod Wells the Tywi Valley and onto Cardiff, where we will hopefully have enough time  to grab a bite to eat before our journey back home via a different route.

Of course, this journey through the heart of Wales and its enjoyment of the stunning countryside will entirely hinge on whether or not the train staff have bothered to clean the carriage windows sufficiently so that we passengers can see it in all of its glory. If not, you might read of TG having to resort to sticking her head out of the carriage door window in order to get some really clear camera shots. Unfortunately this train will not be headed by a steam locomotive but will instead being pulled by a diesel engine. Mind you, these diesel engines are often the focus of train enthusiasts in the same vein as their steam cousins, and we will no doubt  see many photographers and train buffs on the station platforms and along  the route as we travel.

That’s the travel plans so far for this year, all hinging on finances (state of) and my ability to curb my ‘money no object’ daughter who is already scouring Amazon every chance that she gets on the computer, so I’m going to have to be vigilant, as always.

TG

Walking on the frosty side.

We went on a walk yesterday along our local canal.  As in other parts of the country, our canal has become a haven for walkers, joggers and also cyclists. Yesterday was one of those days when your not quite sure how to dress, it was bitterly cold and there had been a sharp frost during the night, causing the pavements to glitter with a thousand tiny stars as the sun shone down on them. We were all dressed in warm coats scarves and the like, and in my case gloves as well. Determined to get some really good shots of both the canal and also try to capture the frosty conditions, I also toted my camera with me. As soon as we set off, daughter ‘hooked’ herself up with the tallest member of our walk that she could find who is well over six foot, which looked rather comical as they both strolled along seeing as she is only five feet tall.

A most unwelcome visitor

 

 Following the last few days of constant rain and gale force winds, which have caused me personally to be confined indoors as I simply refuse to go out in the rain, we were able to venture out this morning and enjoy some glorious sunshine and blue skies at last.  ‘Hurray’ I thought as we walked down to town, enjoying the rare glimpsed winter sun in the sky, ‘let’s hope that’s the last of the rain!’ only to have my hopes instantly dashed as we landed home and found the dreaded card laying on our doormat.  Yes, you’ve guessed it! He’s been! The best rainmaker in the whole wide world has called whilst we were out! So sorry everyone, it will be rain as usual from today, my blasted window cleaners been!

TG

Another year over.

And for me, its been a very eventful one, where I have encountered many new experiences for the very first time. From journeying down a tube for an MRI scan, to having a major operation in a hospital I have never been in before, enduring chemotherapy and all that entails including making some new friends, ending with stabbing myself in the stomach daily with a needle following a blood clot and its been a very interesting year to say the least, and one that, although it had its moments, you will all understand I am sure when I say that I do not wish to repeat any of it again. During that time, my daughter has proved how resilient she really is, and also how she continues to demonstrate her ability to adapt to any situation no matter what.

I simply wouldn’t have coped with any of it without her by my side. She’s been my full time nurse, my companion, she’s been there to cheer me up during the darkest hours, and been strong enough to take the brunt of my moods when I’ve been down. Now I know why she was sent to me those thirty odd years ago when I asked him up there why, why me? when she was born, probably in exactly the same way as any parent does when the child they were expecting to receive hasn’t materialised, and they have received an entirely different child in its place.

And she is in her element when the tide is turned, when its her looking after me, calling the shots, being in charge and she is brilliant at it. I have always stated that had she not had learning difficulties or been saddled with the label ‘Down’s Syndrome’ that she would have gone into some kind of ‘caring’ role, as a nurse or some caring profession. Its in her nature to be caring, and she went above and beyond what many people  would have done whilst I was ill. She was ‘on duty’ twenty four seven at my side, and during that awful week that followed my return home after my operation, when (as it turned out) I had a septic infection, she became who she really is, a nurse nightingale, oblivious to her own needs and focusing only on mine.

TG

P.S  I’m sorry that I haven’t been blogging of late, but intend to return to my usual favourite pastime in the new year, when hopefully K and I can resume our gallivanting around the Yorkshire countryside on numerous adventures and quests, so back to normal! (I hope!)

A short walk that ended up long.

We went on another walk with Heartbeat yesterday, the intention was to catch a bus up to Southowram and then walk back down to the bottom, where we would continue along the canal tow path back to town. We actually began the walk right at the top of Southowram where the bus does a turn around before its journey onwards to Halifax. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and we all set off back down the hill at quite a pace. In fact, K and I were leading the party and setting a cracking pace. You get some wonderful views across the countryside during this walk as you are quite high up in regard to the vista afforded from the road. There are few houses along the route but those people who are lucky to own one of them must enjoy some stunning views from their windows. K was in a rush to see the two ponies which are usually to be found in one of the fields as you begin the steeper descent down to the bottom of the hill.

A Canal walk in the October sunshine.

Yesterday we enjoyed a wonderful walk alongside the canal in the gorgeous sunshine that we are all currently enjoying in the UK.  In a way, it’s not the best weather to walk in, simply because you do tend to get rather hot, but we were all armed with plenty of bottles of water to drink in order to avoid getting dehydrated.  After all meeting up in the bus station where we all distributed ourselves into various cars for the journey to the start of the walk, we set off at about 11.15am. It wasn’t too warm at this stage, and the side of the canal that we were on was well shaded by the trees.  We have both missed going on the walks of late, and therefore K was having a real problem keeping up with the others. She has never been too good at walking on uneven surfaces, and this part of the canal does not have a very wide ‘walkway’, its  just a narrow path with lot’s of uneven grass at either side.

My other World

I’m a firm believer in the reasoning that we all need some form of escape, either from our daily humdrum lives, or from traumas that we go through during our lives. Some use drugs or drink to escape reality. Me? I immerse myself in the other world that is Tamriel, the setting for the Elder Scrolls role playing games. Some of you may (or may not) be aware of my impatient wait at the moment for the imminent next episode in the Elder Scrolls saga, Skyrim. Due to launch on the 11/11/11 (Bethesda, who are the creators of said world have a sense of humour) I along side many others are waiting its arrival with baited breath. Some of my readers may have arrived at the conclusion that a Granny in her sixties must be slightly batty to be so enamoured by a video game, so to try and explain to those of you who have never entered the world of Elder Scrolls, I’m writing this post is to try and explain exactly why I love them so much.

Change of Theme (Again!)

Sorry everyone, I’m at it again, changing the theme of my WordPress blog! I do prefer wider themes, simply because if you then include a picture in your post, you can show a larger size and more importantly, you can fit more words onto a line! This new theme is far wider. Mind you, its not perfect, I prefer a larger title and header the fonts used are far too small! So, until I get fed up of this one, your all stuck with it! Sorry!

TG

A squeaky walk.

On the walk down to exercise class, we were accompanied by the sound of ‘Squeak, clump, squeak, clump’ coming from the general direction of K’s feet.  As I couldn’t decide whether it was coming from her left trainer, her feet or her ankle bone,  I’ll have to oil the lot just in case.

TG

In and out again in one day.

My latest excursion to hospital, and one that I will admit I was absolutely dreading, was for a kidney stent fitting. Owing to the septic infection I suffered, it had become blocked. Not completely, or it would have shrivelled up and died within three weeks or so causing me to loose the right kidney. Because I like to do my ‘homework’ about any procedure I am to be put through, I went online to find out more about what it all entailed and read some real horror stories of others who had had the procedure done, so as you can imagine, I entered the hospital with a sinking feeling and very reluctantly.