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...ENJOY

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 openeing 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
  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
  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?
  Geoff has been making some more driftwood items for the website (check out the Driftwood Table Lamps page tomorrow)We hope you guys will like some of these new additions to the range.
  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...