"Testing Testing One Two Three....."

...... said the cat, as she uploaded her favourite photo of herself once again 'to see if it worked', then told Trousers how to do it, and then downloaded it for him, with one paw on the keyboard, and one on her hip......  Kids, eh, who'd have 'em?!

(If the photo of BC looking to camera does NOT appear on your screens Children, the start of this blog will read like I've finally lost my Conkers.   Such that I will personally demote the cat to Sous Chef, helping me wash up in the kitchen, and Trousers'll try a completely different tack to resume photos to our blob himself....  Of course, I'm about as much use to the Computing Fraternity as A Chocolate Teapot.....But thank you for YOUR helpful suggestions so far.X.)

Anyway,  I had a truly lovely surprise in the post box today, because a birthday card arrived well ahead of next Tuesday, from the adorable 'Scareys' en France, and I'm purposely going to torture myself with not opening it until my actual 50th on the 26th of October, but I do just want to send a HUGE hug back to them for their thoughtfulness, for now, assuring them of its' safe arrival.....Mmwa, Mmwaa, merci beaucoup Angels, on both cheeks.X.

This is probably only a half-hearted attempt at a blog update on my part kiddy-winkies, because, as some of you avid fruit'n'vegetable growers will be aware, if you're an active reader of Grow Your Own forum, Wellie's been fairly incap.incap.under the weather with well-dodgy Sacro-Illiacs over the last eleven months, but only bleeting about it pathetically of late, and thankfully, as the saying goes, I'm 'under the doctor' now, just having received the second of my Prolotherapy  Lumbar injections on Monday, and today being Thursday, not yet being able to feel the existence of my own bottom, is what I would term as "somewhat disconcerting still"....

However, excitedly talking of Birthdays, because turning 50 is, me thinks, rather spesh.... Trousers is 'taking me somewhere' for the event, and we've got friends staying here for the duration to molly-coddle the cat, stoke up the woodburner, cuddle the sheep, that kind of thing.... but he's only so far given me spurious clues:

* You'll need to take your Swimming Costume
* You'll be being 'shown something'
*  It's located in The South/South West of England
*  You'll need 'walking gear'
*  They grow their own vegetables on site
*  You'll need to be dressed smartly for part of the time
*  It's not a pub, but it could be a hotel
*  We'll be taking The Truck (Wellie's affectionate word for The Car)
*  And did I tell you that I absolutely adore you?

No - I made that last one up...... That was me just joshing/joking, and anticipating that that might be my surprise birthday present.
From The Cat, obviously..........!

Talking of Special Birthdays:....and I feel that I can say this now...: Mother, after a whole ten years, honestly, I did truly like the Gary Rhodes Cookbook you got me for my 40th. but a big fat cheque would be much more appreciated for my 50th, if it wouldn't be too much trouble.....

I'll say one thing, because it's true:  I am much more comfortable in my own skin now that I'm nearing 50, than I have ever been in my entire life up until this day, and for that, I am very grateful to those of you who have helped me achieve this level of happiness over the last ten years of my life.  And still being actively able to tap into my own bizarre sense of humour on a momentary basis, whatever situation that I find myself in, has obviously helped smooth out any daily encountered wrinkles.  Hence, my beautiful complexion, obviously.....

Between now and my 50th Birthday, I shall be here, contemplating my navel, if any of you want to reach me.
And, of course, I will continue to be a nuisance on The Grapevine (Grow Your Own forum) as and when our TemperMental Computer allows me to.
In the meantime, thank you for listening.

PS.  Please don't feel obliged to spoil my birthday surprise by replying with an expert stab at where Trousers is taking me.
I'm a very sensible, grown-up woman, and if he doesn't tell me exactly where we're going by the time we leave The Funny Farm, I'm either going to throw all my teddies out of the pram, or just refuse to go.......
Bless you for watching.X.

Phew.....

I say 'Phew...' with affection, in addition to exhaustion, obviously! because I'm still walking the old Severn Bridge, and back again, because my Doctor advised me to walk between one and two hours a day, and I don't take things like that 'lying down', obviously.......because dodgy Sacro Illiacs darling, you just wouldn't want to go there, and actually, I had a lovely telephone conversation with my goodly friend Gloria the other day, and now she's brilliantly wanting to walk the bridge with me. and that'll be lovely, because that'll be a really big giggle.
(See Wellie having got to Costa Coffee, and Gloria still on the first strutt of the first nut of the bridge on the Cheppie Side, still taking a photo....) and me phoning her to ask if she'd like Cinny or Chocky on her Chino?Which is just exactly why I love her.

My mother always used to say to other people, that I spent so much energy during the summer that I was exhausted by the autumn, and to be perfectly honest, there's prolly not a truer word was spoken by a wiser woman.

Thankfully, I've just started to write to my mother again after a gap of ten years since my father died, sadly of Throat Cancer, and, obviously, I still miss him hugely and enormously.
Can I share a secret with you? My dad always used to dry up the dishes with a tea towel in each hand. Try it. It makes perfect sense, and I do it all the time.....

Paulie and I had A Dinner Party tonight, which was nice....
And the couple that we shared our home with were just so lovely, refreshingly humorous, brilliant storytellers, and a complete JOY to cook for, and NO, I'm NOT going to give you their number!
John and Gina, seriously, you are such perfect guests, and thank you for being guinea piglets for my little Caribbean Levi Roots experiment this evening.

I find myself still apologising for no photos, but Trousers does assure me that it is not at all possible to put photographs onto the blog.
Without photos, you may as well chop my knees off, and if the computy is indeedy that dead, I'm going to knock this Blog squarely on the head.
I know it's Drama Queen, but no photos, no blog.
Simples?