Harrow Demonstration

I have a new camera, its a Panasonic FZ38, I have been out in the garden to have a go and the couple of photos I did manage have turned out quite well.






There is also a close up of my worst nightmare-a WASP, the mere hint of a buzz anywhere near me has me screeching and running around flapping my arms in terror.I wont put the photo on here in case it gives anyone the frighteners.


Police cars and vans have been racing up and down the road outside today as there is a big demonstration in Harrow outside the local mosque. It all started when there was a rumour(quite untrue)that the mosque was going to hold courts using sharia law.Of course the BNP had to get involved, anyway I am just mentioning it in case you blinked when it was mentioned on the news!The whole are has been heavily policed, its 10pm and I can still hear them, plus helicopters-its like WW3 has started.
cya

Winters Coming!

With Autumn here already and winter coming int he not so distant future i have been thinking of my knitting machines again.They are up in the loft room, all ready for me to go up and get started on them, well-once the schools start tomorrow then I guess I will have no excuses anymore.
Having put aside completely all thoughts of knitting or anything to do with it-I think its time to get started again. Is there an exhibition on at Alexander Palace in October? I think i will have to find out and see if I can get there...though I definately don't need any more wool thank you very much!I wonder also if I should go and look at Ravelry-maybe they have kicked me out for non-attendance.
Hope all you knitters out there will forgive me for ignoring knitters world.

Look what I got for Mother's Day! I feel truly blessed with the love of my children, and wish them long happy lives.

The whole day yesterday was spent wandering around Shepherd's Bush Market.We had lunch in an Arabic restaurant there, one of the girls slipped on a wet patch on the floor as soon as we went in. She hurt her foot but an ice pack helped to reduce the swelling, later it was fine. We got complimentary sweet and tea as compensation so I told the manager we would come back next week where it would be my other daughters turn to slip!

Today I shall spent time at home (for a change) and get some work done....although the sun is out so I might take a walk later on this afternoon.

Finished reading 'Baghdad Diaries' by Nuha Al Radi, a book in diary form written during the 1991+ downfall of Iraq.She is an artist who is well known and whose house was open to many people from Ambassadors to foreign reporters who will all remember her hospitality and panache. It brought back many memories to me of those times and also smile or two, especially when she describes making lamps out of bottles filled with kerosene with squashed dates as a plug which held a cotton wick. We had these all over the house-better and cheaper than candles they lasted for ages.

cya

Rubbish

My neighbour, a woman with three children, has left first the sofa, then the rubbish bag outside her back fence since November last year. When the sofa appeared I asked her how long it would be there. I am arranging for someone to come and remove it, says she...then the rubbish bag, coat hanger and childs play board appeared. I asked her again, got the same reply. After a month I asked her to get the stuff removed that weekend. Nada-nothing...all in all I asked her about 4 times, sent my landlord too, but its still there. So now I get mad-called up the council and complained. Well-I warned you lady!

Today I spent most of my time on the phone trying to sort out a credit card payment. Last month I set up a standing order so I would not forget to pay the credit card (as I had the precious month) for £100. I got a call from them today asking me to pay immediatley as no payment had been received. What! On checking the details I find the money has left my account by standing order. Looked at the details, seemed fine. Called up the bank and they checked it out, yep money has gone out alright. It was as I was going through it with them we discovered that I had put the correct sort code in but the wrong account number for the card. Oh Oh, so the money is floating around somewhere in the either of cyberspace. They advised me to call the card company up and for them to check their holding account, which I did. Hope to hear soon that they have found the money, its a lot to just have it disappear.My bank says its not their problem seeing as I was the culprit, so cant refund the money. I have been grumpy ever since. My mobile would not charge either-all the calls had run the battery down. I found out later I was trying to charge it with the wrong charger grrr.Deep breaths now, take it easy.
Went off and had a nice long shower to calm down.


Here is Katya at 5 months, she has begun rubbing her gums a lot and crying so I guess those teeth are getting ready to pop out of her sore gums though mum and I cant see any swelling yet. Poor thing, she cannot get to sleep so Mum takes her out for walks in the pram to help her nod off. At least the weather is fine for now, I think Mum will go crazy though this weekend as its going to rain a lot, so the weather man says anyway.

Its been a while

I realise its been a while since I posted. That's because I am still trying to get organised on the 'retirement' thing. When you are used to getting up and going out at 8am, then coming home at 7pm to eat, relax, watch some tv or get some washing in the machine (because here in the UK we have something called 'Economy 7'. That means you get cheaper electricity if you stay up half the night washing clothes).

I finished another online course 'Attachment Theory', passed that with 100% mark. Attended two short courses at the local teachers college 'Child Trafficking' and 'FGM' (female genital mutilation'). More info here:

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/

Would you believe this happens in today's society, even in the UK (we passed a law against it in 2003).

Parents still take their children (from age 4-9 or so) out of the country during the holidays, back to their own country, be it Sudan, Chad, Egypt or one of the other countries mentioned, and have their child cut.Its a cultural thing which is so out of place in today's society.

I attend these courses because I am an approved foster carer. I do a certain number of courses for my CPD.

Its Red Nose Day time here in the UK. Red Nose is a charity that raises money for good causes each year. There are programmes on TV in which celebrities take part either singing or in sketches etc, you can find out more here:

http://www.rednoseday.com

so far they have raised over £57K and more is coming in, so if you feel you would like to donate........

I had a message from a lady wanting to know what yarn to use on the Knitmaster 700. Its a standard gauge machine, so you can use fine yarns up to a double knitting thickness but not Aran or really bulky yarns., hope this helps.

I've just been to visit a friend of mine in Hounslow and she showed me a book she had taken out from the library 'Knitting Patterns for Dummies', well I sat there drooling, came home and ordered it straight away online.Its full of great information for the hand knitter regarding patterns, yarns, needles, gauges, techniques etc. I am STILL, yes still trying to get my head around knitting on dpns! I can't believe I am finding it so difficult even though there are so many great tutorials, even videos, on the net. She thinks its because I am not yet able to concentrate. I do find that I jump from one project to another not able to really make up my mind what I want to do, then end up not doing anything at all!

My foster agency called today asking if I would take a newborn.I am so looking forward to it, bit apprehensive though. This will be my first placement. I will let you know how it goes, I am sure its going to be VERY interesting!

cya

Stand by Me

Boys have gone back home now, we had a great 5 days together. Mum and dad brought them some great presents from Hong Kong too, so they were double happy.
This is what I got






This has always been one of my favorites, do listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM

I am going to have a nice easy day today, no rushing around, just relax and do my own thing, maybe listen to some of my music....
Cya
S

A Day out

We had a day out to Syon Park in Brentford. Took the children to the Rainforest there. Lots of animals and reptiles. That's me with the tarantula, her name is Carmen. The lizards were brought round when a show was done for the children so that they could see and touch the animals. The tarantulas were particularly interesting, sending some kids screaming back to mum! There are chickens too, one chased my youngest grandchild all the way down the road as he was holding a chicken sandwich-possibly seeking revenge!Emergency TLC was needed to calm him down after.
Its a small place,they used to have a butterfly house, but that got moved to Lincolnshire somewhere. Now even this is also going to be moved as there is a huge hotel and leisure complex being built on the site. They are looking for another site to re-locate to, we signed a petition to keep them in our area, hope it works, cant go to Lincolnshire every time.
Price is better than the zoo (I was shocked at the thought of paying £12.50 each for the kids and more for adults) This place has a family ticket (two adults and children) for £16, not bad. We liked the huge snakes and watching feeding time for the crocs and terrapins.
Cya
S