postcard From Broadstairs

Blue skies and family catch ups
That seems to be the order of most days at the moment.
The family beach hut is located right by the walkway from the boardwalk in the centre of the photograph, and after we stake out an area of beach in front of it (to keep away the riff raff) we own our own small area of sand free of day trippers from London and the South.
The London trip worked well as Leo enjoyed all of the geekiness of the star wars exhibition at the O2 even though the hordes of middle aged nerds fighting for the best views above the small fourteen year old was  thankfully somewhat lost on him. We caught the clipper back down the Thames, cooled hot feet in the fountains at Trafalgar Square and managed not to lose him in the crowds of a very warm London.
Uncles Christopher and John Brownie points saved!

The highlight of the trip so far was the seagull attack on a large group of buxom South London black women on Broadstairs beach. They had been eating fish and chips with their children and had no prior experience of hungry seaside herring gulls.. One shrieking woman brought the flocks in after one lead gull had snatched a saveloy from her hand and within seconds there were screaming matrons leaping around scattering children and chips with hysterical abandon in what can only be called as an alternative scene of Hitchcock"s The Birds. 
I laughed till I cried.
Today we have been treated to lunch in a swanky eatery in Margate by The Prof's Brother and sister-in-law, then it's a visit to The Turner Centre and then a catch up with Father-in-law before home tomorrow
ps Rachel...I am thinking about you

snatched Post

I have three minutes to blog today.
The Prof and I are taking his nephew to London today.
My contribution is the Star Wars exhibition at the O2 The Prof has organised a virtual reality experience at the Science Museum.
It's the first time we have been given responsibility of a small person
(but I have to say here that I am an expert in child care given the training I have received from the Randa Girls)
wish us luck!
gulp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where are we?

A Moment

In a spot in the back garden by the coal bunker close to the back door I once planted a buddleia bush.
This year it has been rather magnificently covered in deep purple colour blooms and the warm wet summer has brought out the butterflies which drink it's nectar in droves.
The sun warmed the bush yesterday morning as I stood in front of it with coffee in hand and as Albert   stalked through it's branches then slipped heavily, a great whoosh of red admirals, peacocks, cabbage whites and others fluttered up into the air around me, perhaps a dozen and a half all told.
It was a tiny, wonderful little moment
And it was lovely

Bath time

It's hard to make yourself invisible when you weigh 26 kilos!
I'd run the bath, spread towels all over the floor and readied the fanny flannel ,
And  the bulldog was no where to be seen!
Winnie despises bathtime.
I took the path of least resistance.
First George, then Mary and finally William, the terriers were hoisted into the bath for a scrub.
George hates a bath, but puts up with it with an expression of disgust mixed with shame.
The Welsh terriers adore a hot bath and strange as it may seem both will stand stock still in the soapy water for an absolute age until they are removed
Only Winnie tries to leave home before the fanny flannel is dunked.

Mary

Eventually I found her hiding under the bed in The Prof's office.
Her bottom was poking out, and after several minutes of wrestling I managed to manhandle her into the bathroom where she jammed her head behind the toilet.
I wafted my secret weapon of a handful of  cocktail sausages at her and in the ensuing melee of scoffing I hoisted her smartly into the bath.
Now bulldogs, even old bulldogs are surprisingly agile so keeping one in a bath can be an absolute nightmare, after a minute or so there was more water around the bathroom than  there was in the bath itself and after a few more minutes of wrestling, a quick flit round with the flannel and a snapped
photo I allowed her to burst out of the bathroom with a face like thunder.

She sulked for the rest of the day. Although she did accept a few left over cocktail sausages without opening her eyes.

It took me nearly an hour to clean the bathroom afterwards.

Animal Helper Pat - A Favour

We are off to see family in Kent soon and Animal Helper Pat is babysitting Albert which is lovely of her.
In way of a return favour, I promised to big up her open garden afternoon which she and fellow villager Anthea are holding to raise money for their Church.
Here are the details! Lots to see ( both ladies have fabulous gardens) and plenty of cake to eat

Tomorrow I shall tell you the story of the bathing of three well behaved dogs!
......and Winnie........
It's an epic nightmare 

Treats

Onwards and upwards

Part of the strength of fatclub is the fact that I stick to the same breakfast every morning
Two slices of dry toast and two eggs fried in low fat spray!
As I prepare this feast ( and it is a feast) George totters into the kitchen and waits patiently.
He knows he is the chosen one at this time, for he, and he alone, is allowed to lick my plate clean.
It's his treat for the day.

The shop assistants at the Garage Shop always smile knowingly when I stop by, for Invariably I will add a packet of cheap Spar Spicy meatballs to my basket.
" For the dogs?" They will say conspiratorially, enjoying the " secret" that the dogs are being spoilt
The meatballs are adored by the pack and in Winnie's case are swallowed whole.

The Prof's weakness is a small packet bacon flavoured crisps!
Albert goes wild over slivers of strong Cheddar cheese
And Sylvia's eyes roll back into her head when she is presented with a slice of processed white bread.

We all need a treat from time to time.
And we all need to give a treat from time to time

Before she died my mother went suddenly partial to strawberry tarts and would happily sit in Sainsbury's car park on her piped oxygen munching away on one after another.
Weeks later I would still be finding bits of pastry and strawberry jelly in the footwells and glove
compartment.
Fifteen years after her death, the mere sight of one, sat proudly on a cake stands in the confectionery counter takes me back to those bittersweet days.

Foodtreats are synonymous with love in my book.
I understand the problems based with this but it is ingrained in me from my childhood days when my grandmother sat us children down with a slice of homemade Victoria sponge, a cup of sweet tea and a kiss that smelled of cold cream and baking.
To feed a treat to someone you love, meant you loved them.
This came from a woman who knew austerity and hardship.
Subsequently the treat had even more resonance with her.

Of course treat giving says more about me than it does about any of the recipients.
And it doesn't take a talented psychotherapist to work that one out!

The Village Telegraph

Even though there is a significant " stranger" population in the village now, what with the noticeable increase of rental properties, the news of the popular Mr Lewis' death still raced through the village telegraph yesterday morning.
I was stopped three times when out with the old dogs, with old Stan finally summing up what most people were thinking, with his comment of " He suffered his long illness with bravery" 
Mr Lewis had been unwell for many years.

I nursed Mr Lewis fairly recently.
We thought he was dying then, but he rallied round when a weaker man would have succumbed to a tired and brittle body and I remember talking to him about the forthcoming Flower Show and joking with him about a " difficult" village character we both knew.
It was a gentle conversation which ended with me asking if he was frightened and I remember that he smiled and said " Not really............I have my family" 
It was a reference to a loving family that was always there for him.
They cushioned his fear.

I've just realised that apart from the deaths of my own loved ones, those days of nursing someone who is passing away, are now over.
I must have done it a hundred times in my nursing career, and the whole process, from start to finish, has been a privilege to be a part of.

But I am now happy it is now something I used to do.