Roller Derby

Pip's first bout - Sam went to watch. Pip's team won!

Before

After

Unseasonal Weather

First of the bulbs flowering that Pip & Liam bought me for my birthday

Boys out in the sun - or actually hiding in a potato sack!

Sam was sitting on this bench in the snow only a couple of weeks ago!

Boo enjoying the unseasonable sunshine

The weather has been unseasonally warm - hitting 15 and 16 degrees over the last two days - although that drops rapidly once the sun has gone down. it has been nice to have some sunshine to make us all feel better!

Poor Vickie

Poor Vickie is in hospital with a crohns flare up. Jerry has kept us up to date and she seems to be getting good care and treatment. It appears she also has a stomach infection which she may have picked up in South Africa. Hopefully she will be allowed home on Sunday.
UPDATE - looks like Vickie will be staying in hospital till Thursday now.
FURTHER UPDATE - Vickie on a new drug - may be home Sunday or Monday not Thursday  -  a week later than original date!

Heat Wave

The forecast says there will be a mini heatwave at the end of this week - temperatures up to 17* a complete contrast to the big freeze at the beginning of the month. Watch this space to see if it actually happens!

Invisible Pink Unicorn

Invisible Pink Unicorns are beings of great spiritual power. We know this because they are capable of being invisible and pink at the same time. Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them. — Steve Eley
I feel Vickie was the first to see one! 

Trip To Bedford

Ended up doing a trip to Bedford in the early hours of the morning to collect Sam after she had been out with colleagues. She rang at just after 1.00am from Bedford station to say she had to wait an hour for a train back to Leagrave so I drove out to collect - didn't get back till around 2.30am. Felt tired and sick all day. Sam is obviously ok as she has gone out again this evening - I am having dinner, bath and then off to bed as done in!

Valentine's Day

Sam bought me some beautiful flowers for valentine's Day - as well as the lovely new phone I have already been enjoying for a few weeks.I bought her some Chanel perfume in a handbag spray so she can always smell lovely (and expensive!).

Week Off

I have most of this week off work - due to contract ending at the end of March so have to take holiday owing. I am just working Tuesday.
Lots to do and I want it to be a nice productive week so will add jobs as I complete them -
Job 1 - turn up new curtains in living room
Job 2 - turn up thermal linings for existing curtains
Job 3 - spring garden tidy
Job 4 - spare room sort out 

New Tenant

Our new tenant, Jennifer Wright, moved in today. She will be living in our little house with her mother. They both seem really nice - and we hope they will be good tenants.

The Big Freeze Continues

Temperatures plummeted again last night - getting down to -10 here in Luton and -18 in other parts of the UK. We  has some fresh snow fall on Thursday night - but it melted quite rapidly yesterday and didn't cause a problem for Sam or I getting to work.
I hope this cold spell doesn't last much longer - it is costing a fortune in heating!

Snow!

Well the forecasters were not wrong about the snow - it arrived during the evening and overnight. On the plus side it is considerably warmer and we did our shopping yesterday. On the minus side the spade is in the garage - which is snowed in! Boodle is less than impressed so we have put a litter tray down to avoid mishaps. Sam brought a small bowl of snow in for the boys - they were very excited about it, but couldn't understand where the handful they scooped up disappeared to!

 

Table Mountain

Spot the difference! Same rock on Table Mountain - two different holidays!

2007

2011

The Big Freeze

Temperatures are plummeting - with up to four inches of snow expected overnight. The snow will be caused by a weather front sweeping in from the Atlantic meeting the cold air from northern Europe. The current conditions are a stark comparison to this month last year which was the ninth mildest February in 100 years. Watch this space for some snowy pictures if the forecast is correct!

A Year On

It has been a year since the Child Services team were made redundant from Yarl's Wood -  and it has gone so fast. I still miss it very much, but am enjoying the challenge of being a Family Worker. Ironically  this job is a fixed contract which comes to a close at the end of March - and I am not sure yet what will be happening about a new contract. This is due to the change of model for all Children's Centres. Time will tell! 

Good News

Claire's treatment is all finished now - and no more appointments for her till April, when hopefully she will get the all clear. She has remained positive throughout and has been extremely brave. Claire says she is looking to go back to work part time soon.