Free Range anyone?

Biggles got the scent for this chicken round the back of the house today and scared her up into the air but she didn't want to go home!!
I took her across the road and put her into the field but she followed me back and stood between my feet looking up at me..lol

My wife's Antique desk

Some time ago, Mum was talking about her antique desk, you know, the one that William Day left her in his Will. So, in deference to Mum's wishes, I arranged for a man to come along and give me a price for bringing it up to standard.
Some long time ago, Steve and I were thinking of improving seating at the end of the garden here, and I thought I might find out how much it would cost me to put some in decking.
I also rang a man who does reasonable decking job for a reasonable cost. Yes, you've got it! The decking man promised to come round on Saturday morning. Just after he rang off, there was a knock on the door and a man stood there, saying it was difficult to find my bungalow, so I got my trousers on and said, it is up the top of the garden, so we went up to where I would like the decking. He said, is the desk in the shed?? I am here to look at your antique desk!! He was the antique man! Did I feel a fool. Anyway, he duly looked at the desk, and hummed and haa;d about the gallery being broken and saying he would have to make a new one and he tried all the drawers and asked where the key was as he said it was getting spoiled by people pulling at the wood to open the desk and was spoiling the lid. I said "How Much", he said I would have to charge about £150 so I said Done!
Din I larf! The antique man said he would give me a ring when he had time to collect it. Job done.
I have a man coming round on Saturday morning to cut the grass, sweep up the yard and get rid of unwanted moss and prune the roses, perhaps he could mend the desk! Love from Dad

last night me and Will...

PETER GREEN AND FRIENDS

yer tis.. Pat and Molly

Pat and Molly
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

aka Hugh and Marg

I hope Peter you can get some respite from your ordeal.

Free health check....

I've been a bit quiet of late pending the outcome of a free health check courtesy of Macclesfield General. We were up at Mac the weekend before last when I was taken over all funny during the interval of a pantomime we had gone up to see put on by our friends at Titherington Family Worship.

Turns out I was hyper-ventilating, triggered by a rush of adrenalin, although I had no inkling how it started and still cannot remember a time when I was breathing over actively. Even the paramedics didn't recognise that I was doing that...but that's what it was. The symptoms manifested themselves like those associated with a heart attack or a stroke so I was rushed to the general and put on the machine that goes ping for a few hours. In time I was brought back under control. The chest x-ray (where I had to hold my breath) helped quite a bit - they didn't tell me when I could start breathing again so this probably did wonders to restore my blood carbon dioxide levels. I was duly declared to have a young person's heart, packed up with a new night shirt (sans sweat) and sent home at 11.30pm. We were staying at a friend's in Mac, house sitting. Fortunately we had a chinese meal sitting back at the house which we had not had time to consume before going out to the panto.

Since then I have undergone all manner of blood tests and everything is normal. They reckon that I must have taken on some additional stress in recent times, and the events associated with mum's passing was like the straw on the camel's back. I am consequently re-evaluating how I do everything, and getting much more sleep. The bottom line is I now feel quite healthy again and am back to being my old self. In fact, I feel better than I used to. All those growing old pains and fears about bodily deterioration as we age have been swept aside, such that I am now ready to take on some more exercise and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Still, it was a bit of a wake up call. Hope everyone else has been fine. I love this family so much, I really couldn't face leaving you all yet. Nice to know that the doctor's have given me the all clear with the added postscript thatI take it a little easier on the stress front, and do what I can to make my lifestyle healthier. I have to say, teaching is pretty stressful, so if push comes to shove that might ultimately be something I consider giving up.

Love to all

Pete

Is this the one Juney?... Dad?

June'sPrePosh
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

If I'm right, Auntie June took this, one of her favourite photos (and mine) of Mum and Dad on Mum's birthday.
She says it was "at Ryde just before your Dad took us, (Lenny as well) for a posh-nosh."
She says "your Mum had on a red and white dress in the days when she was eating well and looked super!"

The circle goes round..

Cinders@fortnight to go
Originally uploaded by ezappy.

I've just felt a pup in her tummy kick!! aah

Thanks to the Crown & Cushion

It was a good meeting of the Holts and the Merrow-Smiths in Chipping Norton on the last day of February, where we supped Old Hookey and Joined in the locals to choose their own food from the carvery of beef, pork and Turkey.
We all had fun and a laugh and silently remembered the absent Margaret. Hugh

Lunch booked 12:30

Belated Birthday Wishes Uncle Ju

We had a evening out in Oxford for you in a manner which think you'd approve. Clive, Will and I went to see 'The Last Station' at the Phoenix Cinema in Jericho. It shows the more left field films that the the Odeon won't touch. Anyway film was very good and Helen Mirren is amazing as the Countess Tolstoy though don't think I am inspired enough to pick up 'War and Peace'. There was someone at the back of the cinema having a good sob though. We've done very well on the movies lately as we have joined the cinema as members so recent viewings have been - 'An Education', 'A Single Man' (lots of older ladies in the cinema cooing over Mr Firth, though I confess it got me crying), and 'Up in the Air'. Next week's film could be 'Micmacs' though I might have to insist on 'Alice in Wonderland'. But in 3-D?

Dad - are we all fixed for Sunday lunch in Chippy?

love Gem xx