Wordless Wednesday!

A Reflective Post Today.

I wasn't really going to write a post today, but I am sat here a little bit tearful, because I have just read a post from They All Call Me Mom.  Katrina has lost someone she loves over the holiday period.  Now it is always dreadful to lose that special person at any time but, somehow, when it happens during what should be a joyful time, it always seems that little bit worse.

Katrina is very sad because their grandma won't now see her children growing up, and the post is full of little regrets of things that she wished she had done.  The grandma was 65 and, as I will be 65 on my next birthday, I suppose it has hit home a bit with me, especially thinking of my daughters and grandchilddren.

Please go over and read the post, as it will remind us all to just take a moment to pick up the telephone, or send a letter, or send an e-mail, or, more importantly, pay a visit, and always let our family and friends know just how much they mean to us, how much we appreciate them, and how much we love them. 

 Why?  Because you just never know ............

I'm feeling very sentimental now, so  I'm sending hugs to you - all my little bloggy friends - to let you know how much you all mean to me.

Sunday Snaps and Stunning Sunsets!

I hope you have all recovered from your Thanksgiving celebrations and the crush of the Sales on Black Friday!  We don't have Black Friday over here, but I suppose it must be a bit like the Boxing Day Sales , which take place the day after Christmas Day.

Personally, I can never face going out in all those crowds.  Everywhere is packed, you have the devil of a job to get a parking space and people don't even seem be very happy!  I would much rather stay in the warmth of my own home, with my family, listening to Christmas music, enjoying the pretty lights all round and helping myself to a glass of sherry.  (Just the one, you understand!!!).

I thought I would give you something a bit different on this Sunday, and post some photos of stunning sunsets around the world.  Enjoy! But first of all, here is a photo of a rose in my garden , which was taken yesterday, the 26th November.  Surely, this must be the last rose to flower this year!



Pointe Aux Piments, Mauritius.



Giza, Eqypt.

Aitutaki, Cook Islands.



Los Cabos, Mexico.

Villingili, Maldives.

Sedona, Arizona.

Panama City Beach, Florida.

Samoa, South Pacific.

St. Lucia, Caribbean.

Rangali Islands, Maldives.

I think you'll agree, they're all pretty stunning, but I would think to actually watch the sun set over the Pyramids in Egypt would be very special.

All the above photos courtesy of  Trip Advisor.

“Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as if we were looking through the gates of Heaven.” John Lubbock (English Biologist & Politician).

Saturday Silliness!



A lawyer and a senior citizen are sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer is thinking that seniors are so dumb that he could get one over on them easily. So, the lawyer asks if the senior would like to play a fun game. The senior is tired and just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and tries to catch a few winks. The lawyer persists, saying that the game is a lot of fun...."I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me only $5.00. Then you ask me one, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500.00," he says. This catches the senior's attention and, to keep the lawyer quiet, he agrees to play the game. The lawyer asks the first question. "What's the distance from the Earth to the Moon?" The senior doesn't say a word, but reaches into his pocket, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer. Now, it's the senior's turn. He asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?" The lawyer uses his laptop to search all references he can find on the Net. He sends E-mails to all the smart friends he knows; all to no avail. After an hour of searching, he finally gives up. He wakes the senior and hands him $500.00. The senior pockets the $500.00 and goes right back to sleep. The lawyer is going nuts not knowing the answer. He wakes the senior up and asks, "Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?" The senior reaches into his pocket, hands the lawyer $5.00, and goes back to sleep. See! We oldies aren't as stupid as we look!!! I promise you that this last one is NOT me and hubby!! Enjoy your weekend my friends, and I hope you find something to smile about along the way.

Sending You Blessings on Thanksgiving Day.

Wishing all of my American friends a very happy Thanksgiving Day!

Be Thankful.

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

Author Unknown.

Sunday Snaps!

Hi everyone.  Well, I expect all my American friends are getting excited about Thanksgiving now, and getting all the food in to prepare for the feast!  As I only started blogging in October last year, it was the first time that I had really heard about Thanksgiving in a big way.  My goodness, I can still remember how astounded I was by all the food that everyone was preparing.  I can distinctly remember saying in a blog post how much I wished we had Thanksgiving over here!!

So, we now come to my Sunday Snaps for this week, and I've got a little secret.  I'm having a new camera for Christmas, and it arrived a few days ago.  Was I a good girl, and did I put it away in the cupboard until the big day?  No, I'm afraid I did not!  I couldn't resist taking it out of its box and having a little peek.  "I'll just have a little read of the Manual" I thought to myself. 

Then, you've guessed it, "well, I could  take a few photos just to try it out."  The make and model is a Nikon D3100 Digital SLR camera, and I am absolutely thrilled with it.  For one thing, it's easy to use.  Even an idiot like me could work it all out very quickly, so that was certainly a bonus.

Many of my Followers read Desiree's blog, over at Driftwood Ramblings, and she has some amazing photos on her blog.  Anyway, she recommended this one to me and, after much research on the internet, I am so glad that this is the one I have gone for.

So, ta da, here are a few of my practice shots :

The camera is now all packed away again in its box!

Hope you're all having a relaxing weekend wherever you are.

Please Indulge Me Today......!

I'm going to ask you to please indulge me today, because I am writing this post as a very proud mum!

Both my daughters are beautiful, on the outside AND on the inside, and I am very proud of both of them. Daughter number 2  had her little ones close together and is doing such a fantastic job with them.  She has endless patience, and I have never heard her complain about them, even when they are not being their usual angel-like selves!  It was very hard for her at the beginning, but things are gradually getting easier.  She doesn't have time to run a blog, but daughter number 1 does.

Here is number 2 daughter :

Daughter number 1 has a fashion blog, and I always think that she looks gawgus in all her different outfits, so today I am going to post a few photos for you to have a look at :

 

"A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer".
-- Author Unknown

"A daughter is a gift of love."
-- Author Unknown

"A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be a friend."
-- Author Unknown

"A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous...full of beauty and forever beautiful...loving and caring and truly amazing."
-- Deanna Beisser

"A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts this world has to give."
-- Laurel Atherton

"A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future."
-- Author Unknown

Wordless Wednesday! (This One's For Shady!).

Another Season, and More Leaves!

I love Autumn, and the colours on the trees this year have been amazing. However, what I do NOT like is when the leaves fall to the ground! When the ground is wet and covered with leaves, it can be very slippery and, apparently, this is one of the busiest times of the in the Casualty Departments of hospitals up and down the country, because of people coming in with broken bones, after falling on wet leaves.

Earlier this morning, I was out in the garden sweeping up the leaves, and this is the main reason why I don't like them. I suppose we must have fifty trees in our garden and, from now until early December, I shall be out there like a whirling dervish, trying to get rid of the ...... things!

In my dreams, I have this lovely south-facing walled garden with rambling roses all around, and I just potter around tending my terracotta pots of assorted coloured geraniums, AND NO TREES!!!

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn". ~Elizabeth Lawrence.

I rather like the following photo of one of our old apple trees, minus all its leaves.

I hope that the world is treating you kindly at the moment and, for those of my bloggy friends who have not been feeling too well lately, I hope you will soon start to feel a little better.

"Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier".  Unknown Author.

Don't Quit :

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow--

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out--

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."

by Edgar A. Guest.

(The first part of this post about the leaves, I actually put on my blog at this time last year, but as I did not have many Followers then, I have decided to repeat it again today).

Sunday Snap & A Happy Birthday Wish!

Hallo little bloggy friends.  Here we are at another weekend, and this week has been pretty uneventful for me really.  I am getting used to my new eating regime and I do believe that I am starting to feel better for it, so that's all good news.

I have even started going on my exercise bike and step machine this week, along with lifting some weights.  I haven't felt like doing this for a very long time, so perhaps this is a good sign also.  To be honest, I'm thinking of the holiday that my granddaughter and I are going on to Rhodes next year, and the fact that I shall be spending a lot of time in a swimming costume by the pool.  Eeek! 

I only have one Sunday Snap for you this week.  I was turning out some drawers in one of the upstairs bedrooms, desperately trying to create some more space (anyone else know that feeling?!) when I found quite a few photos of me as a child.  I really like the one I have chosen - it is of my dad and I at the beach, and it really reminded me of all the love I was surrounded with whilst I was growing up.  I consider myself very lucky in that respect, and I have tried to pass that love on to my own two daughters, and now to my three grandchildren.







This was probably taken in about 1955 - a lifetime ago!

We now come on to the birthday wishes.  Today is my awesome friend's birthday.  She is known to many of you as Bouncin'Barb and is a great support to oodles of people out there in bloggyland.  Barb has been through a very tough couple of years, but, suddenly, life is looking up and I for one just couldn't be happier for her.  She has just been to visit her family, including her mum, her son and her two gorgeous granddaughters, along with her other grandchildren.  AND, she's looking better than ever.  Just check this out for yourself!

                                                                                   

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOUNCIN'BARB,  AND I HOPE THAT THIS COMING YEAR WILL BE FILLED WITH LOTS OF BLESSINGS AND LOVELY THINGS FOR YOU!





11/11/11 - Remembrance Day.

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the  11th month every year here in Great Britain, we commemorate Remembrance Day, in honour of all those men and women  that have lost their lives in wars from the First World War right up to the current time, when so many are losing their lives (or suffering terrible injuries) in the war in Afghanistan.

We must never forget the ultimate sacrifice that they paid.

All the images above are from Pinterest.

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, marks the signing of the Armistice, on the 11th November, 1918, to signal the end of the First World War.  At that time, the guns on the western front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare.

Remembrance Sunday is always held on the 2nd Sunday of November, which is usually the nearest Sunday to the 11th November.  Special Services are held at Churches and War Memorials all over Great Britain, and a national Service takes place at The Cenotaph, Whitehall in London.  The Queen always lays the first wreath of poppies.

The Cenotaph in Whitehall.

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

Fourth stanza of 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon (1869 - 1943)