Happy Halloweeeeeeeeen

If you partake in Halloween have a happy and safe one.

Myself, I'm mean and horrible, I stay indoors and don't open it to anyone - sorry trick or treaters!

I Have Reverted! Please Come Back!

I don't know if it was because of me using the dynamic views or because my blog is just so darn boring but it's been receiving less and less visits and comments..

I do know some regular visitors have found it difficult and confusing to leave a comment...

SO..

I have reverted to the old style template for now.

I think Blogger need to do some tweaks before it's safe and reliable to use the new views, but I will definitely be trying them again soon.

EDIT: Since reverting back to the old style I have done some editing, so it's brighter but still *safe*

The Baby Show

This is where I spent my Saturday - at the Baby Show.

Nooo, it wasn't a show of actual babies, it was equipment, lots and lots of equipment!

With my first Grandchild due in December it was the perfect opportunity to look at and try out all kinds of things.

We bought a traveller system and several other bits and pieces, all at fantastically discounted show prices! So all in all it was a very good day!

Waiting For The Rain To Stop To Go Out To Play!

Waiting for the rain to stop to go out to play!, originally uploaded by LadyBanana.

Now This Really Annoys Me

When I arrive at work, just in the door, still in my jacket, still out of breath, busting for a wee, my brain not yet in work mode and people pounce on me asking this that and the other about the day ahead and the day before.. What to do about this and what to do about that..

Can't they just wait till I'm settled in a bit!!

The Yellow Duster Sisters - Susan Kennaway

The Yellow Duster Sisters by Susan Kennaway
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, it's a fascinating true account of wartime evacuation,


1939. As war breaks out across Europe, nine-year-old Susie and her older sister Gyll are despatched to Africa by their mother. Alone on the dusty continent, the sisters find little sympathy in their new guardians, and little to like about their new way of life: patched-up clothes, a 6 o'clock bedtime (a particular indignity) and regular obsessive cleanliness rituals. Their continued presence a nuisance, and overwhelmed by fear of doing the wrong thing, Susie and Gyll seek an ally in Mavis, the only other child of the house, but it's a relationship that becomes tinged with jealousy.
Feeling increasingly abandoned as the years pass and letters from home become ever more infrequent, the sisters begin to dream desperately of escape; if only they could go home, everything would return back to the ways things used to be. But when they do finally arrive home and get off the boat, no-one is there to greet them off the boat. Gradually they learn that their mother has joined the Polish army and that their father has taken on a mistress, who has moved into the family home. Life only gets stranger when they are sent off to the baffling Cheltenham Ladies College, where English boarding school life only adds to their feelings of alienation.
Recounting a youth filled with both hope and despair, Susan Kennaway writes with a charm and honesty of the challenges of growing up during evacuation. The Yellow Duster Sisters is a wonderfully evocative and moving exploration of the shifting nature of war-time family relationships.

View all my reviews

It's NOT November 5th Yet!

It's 2 weeks 'till November 5th and already kids are setting off fireworks.

It's shouldn't be kids as they are not supposed to be sold to kids but then neither are cigarettes and alcohol! (say no more!)

I don't mind watching fireworks although I wouldn't go out of my way to see a display.

BUT I do object to fireworks being set off randomly in the street, it's dangerous and scary, not only for us humans but particularly for our pets.

I think these mini-bombs should only be sold to those organising public displays and not to individuals who have no idea or don't care about the danger they pose to others.

C-C-C-Cold...

Being my day off today I was out and about quite a bit, and the one thing I noticed most was the temperature - COLD!

It's been the first day in months that I've felt cold, in fact I'd forgotten how horrible feeling cold feels.

I don't like it!

It's not even freezing yet so I don't know how I'm going to cope!

Oh well, here comes winter..

On a brighter note, all my woes in the previous post regarding my phone are now sorted out and I have the best ever 3G signal in places I didn't think possible, so I am one happy bunny now!

4s Woes

So, I got the new iPhone 4s and very nice it is too, it was a free upgrade and no one can complain at free stuffs!

BUT there are lots of minor irritations:

First thing: I got put on the wrong tarrif

Second thing: My 3G does not work - at all

Third thing: That photo stream/icloud is driving me up the wall

Fourth thing: Some of the settings I set do not do as they should

Fifth thing: Siri does not work to it's full potential in UK

Sixth thing: My OH (who also has the 4s) put his music on it, and the phone can't see it.

I called the phone company who rectified the tariff error, they tried to re-set things to enable 3g but as yet, nothing...

So, I think I should just go read a book and give myself a break from this digital techy nonsense!

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

Cat's Teeth

Yesterday Mabel went to the vet for her annual vaccinations, that's after we tussled with her for quite a while getting her into the carrier!

The vet gave her a very quick once over and noticed how her teeth have become rather heavily covered in tartar!

She is 3 years old and he was surprised saying her teeth looked more like an 8 year olds!

I was quite horrified at this to say the least, don't want her getting gum disease and losing teeth.

I have been feeding both cats a diet of both wet and dry, (Iams dry.)

The vet recommended we stop feeding her wet food altogether and go onto a full dry diet - in particular the t/d diet which has different properties to regular dry foods to help with tooth protection:

"By three years of age, your cat may begin to show signs of dental disease, which can be a painful and potentially serious problem. This is usually a result of a build up of plaque and tartar on and under the gum line. Hill's T/D Feline is formulated specifically, to nutritionally manage cats with dental disease. Because pet's can't brush their own teeth, the build up of plaque and tartar can lead to periodontal disease which is a dental condition that can cause the gums to become too weak to support the teeth. This diet contains aligned fibres in a special fibre matrix that helps wipe the teeth when the kibble passes through. Also helps to support urinary tract health.


Prescription Diet® t/d® is formulated with the following benefits:

• Reduce the amount of bacteria laden plaque in the mouth to promote systemic health
• Clinically proven to reduce plaque, stain and tartar buildup
• Reduces bad breath
• Added antioxidants to control cell oxidation and promote a healthy immune system
• Awarded the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) Seal of Acceptance for helping reduce both plaque and tartar accumulation

I'm now waiting for a sample of this rather expensive product and hoping that Mabel will in fact eat it being the fussy eater she is.

I Took The Plunge!

(Yeah OK, it's not that kinda plunge!)

As you will have noticed my blog is looking somewhat different!


I've been thinking about making some changes for a while now and these new dynamic views that Blogger has come up with were a tad too tempting for me.

I love the clean un-cluttered look BUT I do feel a bit sad not being able to show any widgets in a sidebar.

I have managed to get round this a bit by adding another page entitled "All The OTHER Stuff" (see at the top left) which hopefully some might take a glance at.

It has links to my Flickr and Twitter as well as some random info about me and will be updated from time to time.

Blogger do say they will be bringing in changes so who knows the sidebar/s might return in some way but for now this is it!

Ladies! Does This Make You Jealous?

Apparently we are all jealous of this woman's body!

Well let me tell you, I for one am definitely not, to me she looks grotesque!

 Read the story HERE

 For anyone who doesn't know who she is and would like to know more, click HERE

Simon's Cat - Double Trouble

This could be called, Mabel & Freddie!

Marks & Spencer FAIL - again..

I love Marks and Spencer, I have a lot of M&S clothes and jewellery.

I recently spotted a pretty necklace on the website and not having the time to visit the big store decided to order it and get it delivered to my local small store today.

Sadly it was not to be - I ordered it Saturday, on Sunday they emailed me to say I made an error in entering my card details which I rectified immediately and received a confirmation email to that effect.

Yesterday, Tuesday I got an email to say I had not attended to this matter and the necklace therefore had not been dispatched!!

So, I went to my account I tried once again, this time entering the card details totally afresh, but this time the account page would not even update.

So, I was left with nothing to do but cancel the order..

This was not the first time M&S online has messed up for me either - last year I ordered a lot of items and THEY got one of them wrong.

As I had picked the order up from a small local store they said they could not exchange it, which is fair enough as they don't stock much.

BUT what did annoy me was that they would not even reimburse me for the item they had mistakenly given me!!

I was forced to take a trip to the larger store and return it for a refund! This made me so mad as it clearly was an error on their end!

So M&S, as much as I love your stuff I don't think I will be buying off the internet from you again, and I will advise others to steer clear as well as you are way too much hassle!

When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman

When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, it was a pleasant read - not a great page turner but pleasant enough.

View all my reviews

Love Breasts, Love Pink

With October being breast cancer awareness month and pink being one the best colours ever now is the best time to buy some pink and help the cause.

I love the little pins and the T shirts and, and, and, almost everything on these sites below..

So why not have a look, not just for yourself but for friends and family, and don't forget Christmas is just around the corner!




Breast Cancer Care Gift Shop

Breakthrough Breast Cancer Gift Shop


If you know of other sites selling pink goodies in UK please let me know :)