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Hi again guys,
In case you are wondering where the old 'blog' has gone, I have decided to archive it every now and again, otherwise you are scrolling for ever and a day, so click below(or above) for the archived section:
 

Just so you know - the recent chat is up here at the top of the page, you just have to scroll down for older stuff or click above for the archived blog.
...ENJOY

Wednesday 15th May 2013
Hello again.
Only a couple of months in between blog this time. Now we're 'rockin'!! LOL
Well - it's Eurovision Song contest time again. First semi final was last night - next one on Thursday. Bonnie Tyler eh? For those of us who remember her first time round I personally don't think she's done a bad job with the song for this year. Do I think it will win? 
NO!! 

Have a listen

http://www.muzu.tv/bonnietyler2013/bonnie-tyler-believe-in-me-music-video/1879201/

Denmarks is cute and catchy, I think they stand a good chance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et4nd8XFTgo

Not in the Eurovision, but still sounding (and looking) good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzmXdd0wJBQ

How many of us wouldn't like to have a go? LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzwBP3OD0eU

Enough now - onto other things. 

My site was plagiarized. YES indeedy - someone stole some of the text and put it on their own website. They have been spoken to and hopefully will come up with their own stuff now. I suppose in a back handed way it is a compliment. If my writing is so good they want to use it, then it proves I have what it takes!!
For a fee I can write very good descriptive paragraphs for any one who is interested!! LOL

I have booked myself on a 2 hour Oriental Landscape Iris folding craft session later in the month. I have now looked up Iris folding so I do not make a complete fool of myself. Some of the ladies take it all very seriously!! I apologise to those of you out there who do indeed make cards and crafty things as a living, but for me it's all much more light hearted. I don't have the patience to do that sort of thing all day and every day in any case!! I wish I had some of the imaginative ability to hold some coloured paper/card/ribbon in my hand and design a wonderfully elegant card with it - mine are copies of those clever people's! 
Not so our driftwood - Geoff is the brains behind most of the designing (not that we sell a lot you understand!) and the rest of the time things 'evolve'. We place some wood here - then another piece there and if we don't like it we start again until we are both in agreement. It usually works somehow.

Anyway, off to the kitchen now to think about dinner. 

Have a great evening everyone. BTW - aren't 'the boys' looking gorgeous still? I refer of course to those magnificent Hunters Sam and Dean Winchester from 'Supernatural'
Following closely on their heels and maybe even ahead at times are the gorgeous Vampires Damon and Stefan Salvatore of 'The Vampire Diaries'. 

Tuesday 5th March 2013

Well,would you believe it? 1 year and 7 months to the day (if you work by dates) since I last wrote on here. Where have I been? Actually - nowhere!! Never thought the chimney sweeping would be as popular as it has become. Just haven't had time to make anything or collect new wood. We've picked up the odd piece or two when the beach has beckoned, but to be honest, there's been nothing much around for us. Maybe the "early birds" have taken the best bits - I'm afraid that the weather over the last year was not conducive for us to leave the cosy nest in the pre-dawn to trawl the beach for goodies. I know - we sound very lazy, but after a week of Sweeping hubby is not very 'user' friendly if an early start is suggested!
I do have a couple of items to put on which I shall be doing in the next day or so.

Christie is still singing (beautifully I must add) LOL. No - she IS good. Just lacks confidence still. Singing in our local Vegetarian cafe on Friday evening(March 8th) - just in the background, so no pressure and it's a small place so she'll be fine.She still loves the sweeping and is getting known by our regular customers now. In fact she's the one they recognise if we're out - not Geoff! If she had a fiver for every time someone asks if she gets sent up the chimney she'd be a rich young lady now though!!

Fizzy (our little gorgeous dog) is still - well - Fizzy.She's so cute and intelligent and such great company. She lets us know if there's something untoward going on outside. The other night at quarter to midnight we had one of our local "oddballs" playing the Saxaphone - YES, THE SAXAPHONE in the lane outside our house. As we border fields in a Valley and it's deathly quiet at night, you can imagine how pleased we were to be listening to this instrument at that unearthly hour. He decided eventually that it might not be in his best interests to stay too long and disappeared - although the Police did catch up with him. Quite easy to find really - just park up and listen!!

Anyway, it would be a physical impossibility to tell you everything that has happened since the last entry and you would all be throwing up a lot of ZZZZZZ's so I shall stop whilst I am ahead. 

Enjoy the forthcoming Spring. I honestly believe it will be lovely. Not so sure about the Summer though.    See y'all....as Dolly Parton would say.

Friday 5th August 2011
6pm...Christie is in Plymouth about to sleep on a 32 ft yacht and then spend tomorrow learning how to sail it! Exciting stuff...I wish someone had given me the opportunity to do something like that when I was young. Someone we know local to Barnstaple loves to give kids the experience of sailing a boat. He just gets great pleasure out of the whole thing...all his family sail too and they have won numerous races. They are very good at it!!
Geoff & I shall be sorting out our tents. We have bags with tents in and bags with poles in and bags with guy ropes in. We have no idea which belongs to what!! When the Garage was converted, everything was kind of just thrown together to move it and we haven't gotten around to sorting everything out yet! Weather permitting, it will be this weekend.
I'd rather be on a boat heading to Fowey though!!

Tuesday 2nd August 2011
We went for a walk around one of our local villages - Landkey on Sunday (31st July). In all the years I have lived in North Devon, I don't think I have ever done that. The Castle is where Christie does her open mic nights on Tuesdays (going tonight 9pm if you can get there) in the middle of Landkey and we found a footbridge across a small stream to the garden of a house. Had no idea this bridge was there and unless you actually leave the car, you won't see it either.
Taking the Camper Van out for a well deserved ride in a moment. Haven't been out in it for a while - weather been too bad. And yes...here I talk about the weather again!! It's SUNNY. In fact I'm getting so hot here in the dining room typing this I should really pull the curtains, but I'm too busy!!
That's it guys until next time.
SEE YOU AT THE CASTLE AT LANDKEY TONIGHT 9pm OR AT THE PLOUGH AT BICKINGTON SATURDAY 13TH AUGUST 2011 8.30pm

Saturday 30th July 2011 ( I cannot believe it is 18 months since I last wrote here)
Anywayyyy....
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas in 2010 as well!! LOL
The year(s) just seem to be flying past at the moment.
Now...in a nutshell....what we have been up to...

Geoff is still Chimney Sweeping
Christie (daughter) is now sweeping with him as she has had to give up College although she is      still singing and doing gigs here in North Devon ( Tuesday nights from 8pm at the Castle at Landkey or occasionally at the Plough in Bickington just outside Barnstaple)
Our little rescue dog Fizzy is still with us and as cute as a button. Click on the pic of her to see more pictures.

 
 
We have had our house valued. Been here 17 years and time for a change. I want to run a small bed and breakfast ( on my list of 101 things to do before I die!) and we can't do that where we live.
Been to France for 3 weeks. Drove out - first time ever in the Chunnel. Not as scary as I thought it would be, although little Fizzy was shaking from the moment we drove into the 'box' until we arrived in daylight the other side. Had to give her some natural calmers before we did the return journey. Aaahhh.
Christie and I went to a fab Bed and Breakfast in Williton near Watchet in Somerset. called Arden Cottage. Jane, the really friendly and helpful lady who runs it and is a bundle of energy, makes a mean breakfast and is also qualified in the Bowen Technique. Christie and I have had this before and each had an hours session whilst we were there. Very beneficial. I felt completely revitalised afterwards and Christie's shoulder pain disappeared within 24 hours.
Still missing our dear Teeko(cat). Every so often something happens which reminds us of him. He was such a sweetheart and so affectionate. For a cat who 'found us' in Tesco's all those years ago, he was brilliant. We only went down for some milk!!
Christie is getting ready to advertise her Reiki around the local area. She really has a natural ability to heal...a headache disappears within 5 minutes when she's in full Reiki flow!! Much better than painkillers. Check out her site Reiki North Devon. Have a go - it's totally painless, but incredibly relaxing and can generate your own energies so your body helps itself. It's almost a 'slow release' therapy as it works over a period of time as well as instantaneously.
Oh yes, before I go, I must mention Louise Hay. Have a look at her website. I have her books and they ARE inspirational. Whatever your beliefs or thoughts about yourself, you CAN change you life. It takes a few moments a day. I have to admit, I do the 'grateful' bit when I go to bed and quietly in my head, but it's working. Not something which comes naturally to me and felt pretty strange to be doing it at first - I was hunting around for things I was grateful for!! Then all of a sudden the penny dropped and you look at things in a different way somehow. Doesn't make me feel any different about horrid liitle noisy children in restaurants though!! 
And finally... the weather!! You didn't think I would leave you without mentioning it did you? Hahaha...it's been...well...British!! A beautiful April followed by a pretty grotty May, then June was mixed and July, well, July has been mostly wet here in North Devon. Until recently. We have now had a run of about 3 days which have been pretty good. A few heavy downpours, but it was getting to the stage the garden was drying out, so I was quite pleased with that to be honest.
Soooo...that's about it for now. I have enjoyed talking to you again and I'll post a bit more info soon. Au revoir mes amis

9.20am Wednesday 30 December 2009

Hello everyone.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. We did - ate too many sweets and naughty things, but hey....!!
A very quick blog today as we have to go out to work soon. Off into the depths of the North Devon countryside.
Weather was lovely before Christmas, although it did lead to a backlog of deliveries with DHL who managed to break one of our mirrors so one of our customers daughters didn't get her Christmas present in time.
Vivien - we can only apologise, but it will be sorted.
Well guys, I had better go.
Our little Fizzy has been an absolutely gorgeous addition to the household and has enjoyed opening her presents!
Our old cat Teeko unfortunately did not get to see Christmas with us.
He is at Rainbow Bridge waiting for us.
Take care everyone.....

8am Tuesday(another Tuesday!) 24 November 2009

Guess what...it's raining (woohoo!!).
AND it's still blowing a gale. Those poor people who have had all the floods recently up around Cumbria must be glued to the weather forecast at the moment. Sometimes Britain isn't the nicest place to live, even down here where we are supposed to have 'semi-tropical' climate!!
Now then, what have you guys been up to since October?
We have been to a lovely wedding near Plymouth of Geoff's nephew.
We have acquired a new addition to the family - a little rescue dog called Fizzy (some video of her to follow shortly).
Some really sad things have happened at the local Animal Rescue place where we help out.
The other week an 8 (or so) year old Spaniel was 'found' during all that foul weather. My God, you have never seen anything so thin - she weighed just over 6 kg, when she should have been around 20kg. Someone had obviously shut her up somewhere as the vets had to cut off fur which was soaked in her own wee.
Unfortunately she gave up the fight for life, despite wagging her tail at us and bringing a toy when we went in to do our stint. RIP Sally.
A little cat called Marmalade also went on to Rainbow Bridge. She had kidney problems and tumours and gave us lots of purrs up to the end.
Last piece of bad news - our own puss cat Teeko is on borrowed time. He has renal failure and it's a bit of a struggle to keep him going. We'll do our best.
Some good news is in order now I think, as you are all probably so depressed after reading the above that you will be snappy and miserable all day now....sorry guys!
I don't think Michael Jackson is dead.
Is that good news? Or not!!
I think he's done a runner because he couldn't cope with all the attention and the number of concerts he had booked.
Where has he gone though?
No idea, but if Bin-Laden could do it, so could Michael!
I'd better go now, as we are off sweeping again today. We see some fantastic places on our travels and meet some really nice people too - lots of artists and musicians.
Talk again soon...

5pm Tuesday 6th October 2009

No, your eyes have not deceived you! It is almost 6 months since I wrote anything here. Where have those months gone?!! As to why I have not written anything - I honestly don't know. We have been busy, but I have been updating the site on a regular basis so have had ample opportunity...just haven't! Sorry..... Anyhow, I shall briefly resume the last 6 months

• Started working for a local animal rescue centre as volunteers
• Christie(daughter) has now abandoned Beauty Therapy at College and is doing what is really in her heart -
  ........................Music....................... (check out www.myspace.com/christiewoodley )
  She has been selected for the National Diploma Course. Hard work, but should be very rewarding
• Have been commiserating with my dear old Daddy (86 years young) whose eyesight is fading. He lives a distance away from us so don't get to see him that often. He's a cheerful chappie though bless him
• The garden HAS eventually had a tidy up - lots of chopping down and cutting back. Looks somewhat neater now
• Waiting for our hedge to be 'layered' by this amazing old guy called Vivien who gets up to all sorts of things despite being 80 + (what IS it with me and the crinklies?!!) A real character, but I hope he hurries up and comes to do it as we can't see anything from our garden 'cos we had to let the hedge grow all last year and this so the saplings are thick enough to slice. Pleeeeaaase Vivien... I want my view back!!
• Still drooling over Jared and Jensen (Supernatural - come ON people, where have you been the last few years? The boys are h...o...t   HOT!)
• Also now drooling over Alex O'Loughlin (Mick St John in Moonlight ) His co-star Sophia Myles as Beth is cute but his ex-'vampire' wife Coraline (Shannon Sossamon) I could quite happily see buried 6 feet under in some vampire graveyard. He's killed her once, but the darned woman will just NOT stay down!!
  Actually, I'd better stop mentioning all these programmes with neat guys in. You people out there will stop buying our stuff, 'cos you'll think I'm some kind of nutter! (You won't though, will you?)
  
• Lots of other things have happened, but the latest is that we have gained an additional member to the family. Over the last 27 years we have had 2 lots of '2' dogs. Lost the 2nd two the year before last (couldn't put another 2 there could I?!!)
  We were having a break from dogs until I was working at the rescue centre the day a little 8 month old Jack Russell cross Shitzu came in as an 'unwanted'. She had been spayed and there was this little face looking out at us with sticky out teeth and eyes that just said 'please take me home with you'. Of course, a few weeks later when she was ready to be re-homed, that is exactly what we did!
  She's called Fizzy and is soooo cute.
  Haven't got time now to put a photo on as we are just about to go out, but will let you see her later.
  
  Catch you all again soon....
  
  
  
  

  1050 Good Friday 10th April 2009
  Helloooooo again!
  Believe it or not I am up and running despite not getting to bed before 4am - just couldn't sleep. I have been having some weird dreams recently too. The other night I dreamt I rode this heck of a powerful motorbike to a house in France ( Midi Pyrenees ) and then had to collect a load of stuff together because someone (or thing....ooohhhh, scary!) was chasing me but I couldn't get it all done in time. Have you ever had a dream like that where the faster you have to do something,(especially if you are in danger), the slower you do it in the dream. I was absolutely exhausted when I woke up!! We do have a bike, but my legs are too short to ride it. I'd be OK on a Harley or one of those low slung "WILD HOGS"(saw the film - loved it, such tongue in cheek humour but they captured the middle aged honcho perfectly!!) type machines.
  By the way, on the subject of scary, don't forget Supernatural is on this Sunday. Come on girls, we can't afford to miss Jensen or Jared now can we?I know, I am a very sad individual, but hey, when they make a similar programme with girls as demon busters, the men will suddenly be torn between footie and that prog. Wonder what they could call it...?? Remember "Charlie's Angels"? The original - not the film re-make...nostalgia here we come...I had the Farah hair for a while. Did anyone else out there do the same sad thing?Tee hee!! 
  Actually, talking about sleep reminded me about falling out of bed!!
  I did - honestly.
  First time ever I have done it.
  Stupidly half awake, I shuffled across the bed on my knees to turn off the phone which we use as an alarm. Both knees slid off the bed....yup, OUCH...One hit the floor (which was fine) but the other stayed on the bed and got bent back. I heard this horrible tearing sound and knew that I'd torn the muscle or tendon. I had done the same thing in the other leg several years ago. Very painful if I have been sitting for any length of time and then go to get up. Probably take weeks again to recover. Meanwhile, I hobble around on occasions like a saddo. I should milk it a bit and get Christie (daughter)to do EVERYTHING for me!! Like I'm dreaming again!! Oh yes... on the subject of daughter. Have a look now and again at www.itscoolbaby.co.uk . This is a site I am trying to get her to develop as I think it could be a great place for teenagers to find information on anything they could possibly want. It is in the really early developmental stages but who knows, in years to come, this could be a great site without ads popping up all over the place too. That annoys me intensely. You are scrolling through a site and all of a sudden there is this little box advertising, oh I don't know, some kind of hair product, but IT FOLLOWS YOU! How do they get them to do that? There you are, happily trying to read the info on the site and this horrible little box is stalking you!! Get rid of them I say. Hopefully my sites will not EVER be full of affiliates. Just plain old sites with (maybe) forums and general info.
  Am I incredibly boring for wanting that?
  Well guys, I have been charging up the camera battery so I can get some of these new pics on the site, so I shall see how it's doing.
  By the way, just realised. moon has been full the last few days - we always have sleeping problems round about that time. Did you know that there are more recorded incidents of violence around full moons and in high winds than at any other time. Especially involving males? Apparently just before a full moon is the best time to host a party as well - people are at their liveliest then. I read this somewhere the other day. If I remember where, I'll share it (aaahhh, I'm SO nice like that!)
  I still have sooo much to tell you, but I really had better go...
  Catch y'all later. Be good....
  
  0100 Good Friday 10th April 2009
  OH NO - I just typed in a whole load of interesting stuff - hit the wrong button - hadn't saved it and, guess what, yup...I lost the lot.
  Grrrrrr I hate it when that happens.
  I am now saving this blog every few lines otherwise I shall still be typing at 8am!
  Now I am trying to remember what I had said to you...we have been really busy again over these last few weeks. In fact, it's incredibly hard to realise it was almost a month ago I last wrote on here. Where has the time gone?
  Our daughter has now completed her first 2 days of Reiki training. Very drained on the first day, but thoroughly enjoyed it at the end. Definitely feels she is heading down the right path. Gail is a lovely calm lady who is trained to masters level in Reiki and also is involved in other holistic treatments. As a teacher, she is wonderfully relaxed and seems to me to be the definitive of how a Reiki master should be. Check out the links page shortly as I shall be adding her. If you are in the North Devon area during the summer or you live locally, then maybe an hours Reiki healing would be beneficial to you. Or perhaps you are seeking an alternative career - give Gail a call...I feel sure she will be able to assist.
  All 3 of us also help out at the new Animal Ambulance holding pen facility above the new Market Vets in Barnstaple. We have taken our animals to Market Vets in South Molton for several years now (although we are down to only one cat - Teeko, who I have mentioned in previous blogs). They have recently opened up a Barnstaple surgery and the whole of the top floor is designed for animals brought in for treatment. Both domestic and wild. The volunteers are on a rota system and feed, water and clean out the various creatures which change on a daily basis. There have been cats (loads), dogs,rabbits, a guinea pig, battery chickens - poor things have damaged legs and joints where their legs go through the wire of the cages they stand on and then as they pull their legs back up they tear the tendons. If you could see these poor creatures when they first come in...sitting on the floor pecking the wall at the height the conveyor belt of food would pass by in their tiny tiny cages not large enough for them to even spread their wings,you would never eat another 'farmed' egg again. These hens have to learn to scratch at the ground and even to stand up.Those eggs marked 'farm eggs' are probably 'factory farm' eggs.If you possibly can afford them, please buy free range (better still from a local source). The psychology of marketing is so clever nowadays - let's try and make people more aware of how things really are. The trouble is, nearly all manufactured food (cakes, pies etc) are made with factory farmed eggs because it is cheaper. Marks and Spencer do a lot of food with free range egg and hellmans mayonnaise has free range egg in too. See links page soon for cruelty free sites(including those selling hair and beauty products.)
  Other animals brought in include kid goats, a buzzard which had been attacked by crows and a pigeon. It's lovely to see an badly abused animal responding to some kindness. There is one cat in particular there at the moment which should hate humans for the rest of its life, instead of which, it is desperate for love and will eventually make someone a wonderful companion (when all its coat has grown back and it has some weight on).
  DIANA LEWIS is the animals angel. She will meet hundreds of friends when she crosses rainbow bridge.
  Anyhow, enough of my ranting. How has life been out there in the big wide open spaces of cyber land?
  I would really love to know how far afield this site is reaching. Anyone out there from outside the UK? Could you give me a quick e-mail just to let me know where you are? It would be so interesting to find out.
  Oh yes, I remember now. I was telling you about how I fell out of bed the other day when I lost all the info...I am afraid you will have to wait to hear about this as it is wayyyy too late!!
  I have loads more to tell you, but it is now 2.46am and I need to sleep. Have a great day out there tomorrow...bye.
  10 am Wednesday 18th March 2009
  Well, here I am at last.
  Boy, have we had some hair tearing out times the last couple of weeks... our broadband went down (Aaarggh!). I guess you can visualise the scenario - scouring the computer for inspiration;trying the laptops (several times each in case we did something stupid); checking the 'wizard' to see what the diagnostic problems are - only to be told there is no connection  (duh!); checking all the plugs to and from the PC; getting all the 'PC problems for Dummies' books out and searching the pages so often I became quite intimate with some of them! Still no solution. By this time quite some time had gone by and we do actually need the internet for a lot of our work. In the meantime I had gone to dog sit for someone and took the laptop - guess what - logged into the internet via Wi-Fi no problemo. So, we confirmed that it was not our provider causing the problem.Then, wonder of wonders, someone mentions the plug from the modem may be at fault...modem? Where is our modem? Oh, that little box beside the computer...wondered what that was for! Unplugged and re-plugged it (it did seem a little wobbly I noticed when I did this) and - we now have our broadband back.
  So, the moral of this tale is...always check your modem AND, more importantly, always know where your modem is so you CAN check it!!
  Anyway, since I last spoke with you all, we have been busy little bees.
  
  We have still been sweeping a few times, although things are easing off as usual.
  I have clocked up my 25th blood donor session badge and new card. I gather they have upped the limit for the age you can give blood until and apparently it makes no difference when it comes to age as to whether you are given 'old' or 'young' blood in a transfusion - it means the blood always stays the same presumably. Something I didn't know before.
  Geoff & I have also been 'house sitting'. This is something Geoff has done for several years now. It keeps us out of mischief! 
  We have also been to the funeral of a good friend of ours. A sad occasion, but he was one of the happiest people I have known and it all happened really quickly (a couple of days) which would have suited him. 
  We also had a lovely meal with our dear friends the other day before they went on an exotic holiday to Egypt. We wanted to look at their hotel but, yes, you've guessed it, the internet was unavailable (wonder why?!!) so I shall be looking at it shortly. They have been to quite a few gorgeous places including Sandals in Jamaica(?) - the couples only one. Fantastic, but a huge amount of dosh too. Still, they have done it and our motto nowadays is, if you can possibly do things, then get out there and experience it. We have no idea what the next second holds for us, let alone the next few years.
  SO.... GET OUT THERE AND GO FOR IT !
  Our daughter is training soon for her Reiki. April 1st is the first day of training, so I wish her luck for that although to be honest, she is such a natural, I doubt if she'll need any. She can only practice on herself afterwards until she has completed further stages of training, although I am sure Mum could be a willing recipient if she wanted one!!
  Well my friends. It's now time for me to finish, but, before I go, I must tell Becky that the driftwood mirror pictures will be with her shortly and I hope she likes it so far. As always though, if people don't like what we do, please tell us and we can always advertise it and re-do it for them.
  Bye for now...