My constant companion

I had a conversation with my niece Emma over at the syders about the loss of a pet. It made me remember my constant companion my cat cefer. She came into my life around the time my dad passed away. On the day of his funeral she appeared in our garden looking for food. I started feeding her and before I knew it she was living with us all the time. She was a beautiful cat and so loved a cuddle. You just had to whistle and she was there.

At night she would sleep with me full length of my body and cuddled up tight. I miss those cuddles.....
She like most cats had a mind of her own but most of the time she was just wanting your love. When you had been out she was there is a flash so pleased to see you.
She has been gone just over a year and not a day goes by when I don't miss her. When she died it was like losing a family member. She had been my constant companion for 16 years and the hole she left was vast.
I was amazed at some people say "Its only a cat"! No she was not just a pet to me she was a whole lot more.
So R.I.P my baby, my cefer xxx

check out other posts about pets at

Picture Prompt Sunny Days of Camping

Its been awhile since I did a picture prompt, so thought I would do one straight away. Its my parents Tom and Grace camping in around 1968. My mum loved to camp and my dad love to sit in the sun so it was a match made in heaven. This tent was my parents pride and joy and my mum loved nothing better than to use it. I remember the excitement when we bought it and tried it out for the first time in our back garden. It was orange and blue and had a living room and two bedrooms.
This holiday had not started well as my mum had managed to wash all our holiday money. I came down one morning to see washing lines strung across the living room with money clipped to it. Thankfully it all dried out and we set of to mums most favourite place which was Cornwall.

Mum loved Cornwall and always dreamed of living there, so even a few weeks aways made her so happy.
We were to stay for two weeks but due to floods washing out roads we ended up staying for 3. It was the best holiday I can remember. We had lots of fun and mum and dad were so happy. It made my mum very sad when in later years she could not go camping.

When I remember my mum this is how I like to think of her. She was so happy and it really was the best holiday ever.

Road Safety for your child

So summer will be coming to a close soon and the children will be returning to school. With the darker mornings and evenings the subject of road safety should be in all our minds. My children are grown-up but keeping our children safe applies to today as much as when mine were young.

So here is a few of my ideas which I think would protect and keep safe any little one.

Wear something colourful

It's easy to buy the winter coat in black or navy, but once the darker nights set in its not so easy to pick out those colours. There are lots of reflective product's that you can buy for your child to wear. It could be things that are stuck on clothing or ones that slip on and off. Being reflective means that car head lights will pick it up and know you are there. This means that your child is less likely to be involved in
a road traffic accident.

Bling out your school bag

If your child had a school bag or backpack why not buy some fun stuff to stick on and decorate. You can even buy reflective fabric that you could cut out your own shapes. How fun to spend an afternoon with them personalising their bag. If they have a part in it they will be more keen to use it. That always worked with mine, I let them do all sorts and they loved it, but I knew they would be seen.
This goes also for bicycles as well, once again all types of reflective tape and stickers can be used, for maximum effect.

Pavement Safety

When my children were young I always made them hold my hand if we were near a road. I never let them run off and also made sure I walked nearest the road and not them. We always made a game of being aware of the road. When we had to cross I made them look and tell me if it was safe. They thought they were in being all grown-up but I was in full control.
If your child is aware of road safety, it is not good thing for them but it will help with road traffic accidents as well. All to often we hear of accidents that happen due to a child running into the road. All the above can improve pavement safety.

Explain, Explain. Explain

Go over road safety all the time but make it lots of fun. I liked to make everything a game, but at the same time making sure the safety aspects were reinforced. Making sure they understood how important it was to stay safe on the road was even more important as they got older. Making lots of chances to practise is a great idea too.
So I hope this post has made you think about road safety and also remember to have fun with those creative ideas.

Marshmallow Fondant

So I have a couple of cakes to make before my hand operation next week. I baked the cakes and when I went to look for the fondant, I was all out !!!
The stores were shut so I thought what the heck was I going to do. Then I remembered the huge bag of marshmallows I had sitting in my kitchen.
So I set out to make my first ever marshmallow fondant. This is the recipe I used

Marshmallow Fondant

4 cup's mini marshmallows

4 cup's of icing sugar/ powdered sugar

2 tablespoons water.

Melt the marshmallows in microwave very gently. 

I added the water in this process as well.

When they have melted add all the sugar and stir well.

When it gets to the point you cant stir anymore, tip out onto a sugared surface.

Dust your hands with sugar and knead the fondant until smooth and not sticky.

Then wrap and leave for an hr or so, or overnight to firm up a little.

It was easy to make but a bit messy and sticky. It tasted very yummy and I think I will be making it again.
I will let you know how it is to work with on the cake when I finish it. Hope you give it a try.

Operation update

Ok I'm back and operation all done! It was fine and even though I was awake it was made so easy for me. The staff in the operating room were funny and kind, and made me feel relaxed. They explained everything to me every step of the way. Jokes and conversations made the time fly and I was in a wheel chair and rolling back to the ward.

It wasn't sore as it was totally numb but as time went on and feeling returned not going to lie it was a little sore. The thing I found most hard is not being able to do anything. Most of my time is crafting!
I'm sewing or paper craft or cake decorating I'm always busy.

So to sit and do nothing for days is frustrating!
I do know that it's for the best and in a few weeks I will be back up to speed.
So I survived a carpal tunnel decompression lol and I'm doing good and I've typing slowly lol

Operation

So this will be my last post for a few days. I have to have a small operation for carpal tunnel on Friday. I am not sure how good my one hand typing with be lol. I am nervous but I shall be glad as it such a pain in more ways than one. I am having it by local anaesthetic so I shall be awake umm not sure about that but I will be fine. So if I am slow in getting up posts you will know why. Will try and post to say I am ok over the weekend.
Wish me luck

My Diet Loss Review

So in the past I have been very lucky to get some help to lose weight , but I am always keen to try a new product or service. So when I got to try My Diet  I was excited.

The founder Nancy like myself had struggled with her weight. It was not till she was older that she found a diet that worked for her. She got slim and more important she stayed slim. So in 2008 she became a weight loss consultant, and later to start her own company My Diet Loss.

The principal is to encourage a regular eating pattern. There is nothing complicated, no regular meetings, you are in charge with good tasting products and simple plans.

All the products are scientifically developed by highly qualified nutritionists and are proven methods for weight loss.

So my weeks supply arrived today and I am excited to start . I only have a week but I will be giving it full effort. I am having a small operation on the 16th and I am going to wait until after, but thought I would tell you all about it first.

So come back in a couple of weeks and see what I thought of it all.

www.mydietloss.co.uk

Please note I was not paid for the review only receiving a sample of the product

Fitbug Air Update

If you read my blog (and thanks if you do) you will know I was lucky enough to get to try this clever little devise. The fitbug air is a pedometer and more ! It can send all the information it has stored via blue tooth to your mobile phone, laptop or ipad.
I have to be honest I have not given mine a fair run really. At first I had trouble setting it up on my computer, but fitbug were great and very helpful. They talked me through all the steps and shortly after I was able to use Blue tooth to send the data over.

It is amazing how much information this little thing can have and how easy it is to use the web site. The web site is full of information and help with diet and fitness you can see just how you are doing and how you can improve. Plus you have the chance to chat to people who are trying to get fit or lose weight themselves.
As I said I did have issues setting it up but that was not because of the fitbug it was my lap top stopping the upload. If you do have any problems fitbug are there to help and they are very helpful.

My only negative is the wrist strap which I found a pain. I would rather it came with a neck strap or a clip and I found the best place for me was to tie to whatever top I have on lol.
I am not working at it all that hard as I am about to have an operation next week. Soon as I feel more me I am going to really try to take full use of this wonderful little item.

I think that the fitbug is a considered purchase but well worth the extra cost, for all the support and help you get. It really makes you aware just how much or how little you are doing each day and also how you can improve.

Please come back in a few weeks as I shall post again about how much better I am sure I will be doing.

www.fitbug.co.uk

Please note I was not paid for this review only receiving the product to use.

Happy Badger Helps St. Helena Hospice

Mum, Me, Dad , Uncle Tom and Aunty Mary
in Happy times.

Today I had a message from my niece Emma over at The syders  . She told me all about The Happy Badger who is trying to spread a little love, around the blog world by giving a donation to a charity that you pick.
Like Emma it didnt take me a second to know where mine was going to go.
It had to be St Helena Hospice in Colchester Essex. This hospice holds a very special place in my heart and memories, as it is where my wonderful mum and wonderful sister in law passed away.

My mother was an amazing woman who lived a life full of adventures. She had a temper mind you and you always knew who was boss, but saying that I adored her in every way.
She got skin cancer first but like everything she ever did, she fought it every inch of the way. We thought she had won her battle but sadly a brain tumour came and put paid to her fight.

At the end of her life she was in so much pain and my dad struggled to cope. So when the chance to go into St. Helena's came up, it was a godsend for us all. My dad was not happy but once she was there she was was treated with such respect and kindness. We as relatives were also treated just as well and they couldn't do enough for us. They did everything to make her last hours pleasant but sadly on Mothers day she passed away at the age of 63.

My children were very young being five and ten so they found it very hard and sad. They had bought flowers for my mum as it was Mothers day. When we went to see mum the staff had taken time to lie the flower heads all over her pillow. It was such a sweet kind thing to do, and one I have never forgotten.
I would love to tell all the staff how much this simple act meant to me and my family.

Thank you St Helena from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you Happy Badger for the donation to St Helena Hospice, for me. All you bloggers  if you would like a Happy Badger visit pop over and visit today.