Words of the day and a fact or two

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~Words~
Kindle - a group of kittens
Clowder - a group of cats
Rotational ambigram - a word that reads the same if looked at upside down.

Wikipedia commons

~Fact~
Cats only meow at humans. They growl and hiss at fellow felines, but reserve the meow for us.

Cats understand tone of voice. They can tell when you are angry at them, though they most likely don't care! :)

Hugs.

P.S ~ We're feeling quite a bit better, not 100% but better. Thank you for your prayers. xxxx

Poorly sick

The girls and I have been suffering with a horrible flu-like cold - aches, fever, upset stomach, shivers, etc. Hopefully we'll be back on top-form soon.

Please pray for the girls especially, Squidge has had this since Saturday night and Chatterbox is now quite poorly. They both have fevers. Chatterbox had hallucinations the other night, poor little mite.

Hugs.

Chrismassyness

It's been a busy day. I have trawled around every shop in our town looking for size 2 wellies for Chatterbox. Honestly, just before I'm about to lose the will to live, the very last shop we look in and I find some. Pirate wellies no less! Captain Jack Sparrow would be proud of them! :) It was exhausting. Hubs had a fun time at home fitting a light unit in the kitchen that involved pulling up carpet in Chatterbox's room, pulling up floorboards, and some electrical fiddling. We've checked the smoke detectors work just in case!! ;)

We've had a lovely evening, mulled wine and mince pies. Very aromatic.

Here are some of our Christmas decorations. Sorry for the blurry rather orange photos but we have a small camera and a very small living room! Apologies over...I love Christmas.

A bit blurry and orange, but you get the picture. :)

You might just be able to make out in front of the television right in the centre is a tiny tiny nativity scene. Lol, I bought that off eBay last year and I expected a full size nativity. I was rather surprised when it came through the post - to say the least. Always read the description, photos can be deceiving! :) Hub's feet and the X-factor on TV can also be admired! :)

Our nativity, you might notice the white dove lying in front of the crib. Lol it's fallen off the top of the stable and I didn't notice until after I'd taken the picture.

For some reason this is the only picture that didn't come out orange!

Through the mirror which reflects the window which in turn reflects the Christmas tree.

I love my tree, its design reminds me of the White Tree of Gondor

Misty Frosty

It's been all of a Sherlock Holmsey TV show foggy out there yesterday. The freezing fog left a layer of frost on everything. I didn't have much time to take many pictures but I got a few. The spiders' webs were beautiful.







This week has been busy busy. The girls are doing their school Christmas shows this week. It was Squidge's show today. She was a fairy ballerina dancing to the Dance of the Sugar Plum fairy from the Nutcracker suite. She danced beautifully. Though like every mother watching these sort of productions I couldn't get enough photos for other children getting in the way! Lol. :) It was good that I could sit at the front though, I zoomed through my work and was allowed to get out earlier so that I could get to the hall to get a great seat. I haven't got any pictures I can show, but she looked very pretty in a fairy outfit that someone bought her last year for Christmas.

Chatterbox's performance is on Thursday. She is supposed to be a Victorian Londoner. Here is the outfit I made for her from an old nightdress, lace from an underskirt, and old skirt of my Nan's and an old top of mine. I can't wait to see her show.





I can't wait for Christmas! I love this time of year.

Hugs.

Working Children in 19th Century Lancashire by M. Winstanley

Mining children

I've just written a review of this book on Good Reads and thought I would copy it here since I'd mentioned the book in a previous post.

This was a very interesting book. The plight (and it was a plight) of working children in Nineteenth-Century Lancashire was a dark one. To read of children who worked from 6.30am until 10pm;

Mill work was dangerous, legislation did try to improve the lot of children, but many mill owners for many years ignored legislation. Children often worked barefoot as it allowed a better grip of the oily floors

to read of children of eight and younger left at home to care for their siblings (of which there were many) and the siblings of family members and neighbours whilst mother went to work;

to read of children who worked for hours sat in the dark of a mine waiting alone for a cart to come along so that they could open the door (see 'trapper' picture below from the 1840s);


to read of children who worked 60 hours a week on top of their school hours...is rather disturbing to read. Yet for many, this was the only way to survive, the only way for a family to have enough to eat and a roof over their heads.

The poorhouse or workhouse loomed heavily over the heads of the working classes.

As the author points out, often we idealise the past, "There was, it seems, an uncomplicated golden age not so long ago when children were children, families were united and happy, and moral standards were universally adhered to...[O]ur modern concept of 'childhood' is, to all intents and purposes, a recent construction and not one which would have been recognised by previous generations."

Snowman and snow baby

Snow!

Paw prints in the snow

Snow makes everything beautiful and clean.

"Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool".
~ Isaiah 1:18

A bit of snow

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Hello, I haven't posted for a while, my apologies. It's been a strange week or two.

The UK is beset by snow, except near us! I love snow, snow days, snowmen, snow-angels, sledging, snowball fights...*sigh*. We've had a light dusting which has frozen in this freezing weather (it's been around -6 C but it's warmed up a bit this evening as there is some cloud tonight). I hope for more snow, but we're not scheduled to have as much as in Scotland and the North East (we're central North West).

Things have settled down a little bit here. I've been low, but that's to be expected. My Dad and Granddad, and my Auntie, are really in my thoughts, especially my Granddad with Christmas coming up. I would appreciate your continuing prayers.

I'm reading a few books at the moment, but mostly The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and Working Children in Nineteenth-Century Lancashire edited by Michael Winstanley. I'm not far enough into The Three Musketeers to form a considered opinion, but I'm really enjoying Working Children in Nineteenth-Century Lancashire. It's fascinating to get an insight into life in those days. Children had always worked in the family businesses (where they had a business), weaving, farming, etc. But once the big mills were opened the whole family often had to work to make ends meet. However, there were clashes between those who wanted to improve the lot of children and families who relied upon the wages their children could bring into the home. The book also covers children who worked away from the mills - errand boys, newspaper sellers, 'van boys'. Children who worked in a shop for example could work up to 60 hours a week on top of their schooling. No wonder they fell asleep in lessons. Children working on farms and in coal mines are covered too. I'll write some more when I have more time.

Hope you are having a blessed week.

Hugs.

Thank you so much for all your love and prayers. My Nan passed away this morning. Please continue to pray for our family, particularly my Granddad, my Dad and my Auntie.

Motherhood - they don't always thank you

I found this beautiful picture via Stumbleupon*.

*It linked straight to the picture and I couldn't work out what site it came from, if you know where it's from I can credit...or remove if necessary.

Update

Thank you so much for your prayers.

I had my ultrasound scan yesterday and praise God my gall bladder, liver and pancreas are fine. So it's just the hiatus hernia that is causing me gyp*.

*gyp
n
Brit and NZ slang severe pain; torture his arthritis gave him gyp
[probably a contraction of gee up!; see gee1]

I love words.

Anyway...

My nan isn't improved. Now they think her hip has come out of its socket. It's causing her great pain, she can't sit up now. She could go for an x-ray and then go through the pain of having it reset. But, they believe that the cancer is causing her bones to soften so it would simply pop right out. My nan is terrified of hospitals, so for now they are treating her with pain killers.

My poor granddad is really down about everything, he needs lots of prayer too.

Chatterbox is still sad about losing her best friend, although they do seem to be on speaking terms now. Squidge is doing better at school and hasn't cried when I drop her off at school for three days now. Praise God!

I do have an additional problem that there may be hours cut and even maybe redundancies at work. But I feel peace about that.

I know there's a lot to ask you all to pray for but I would be grateful if you would also keep my husband in your prayers. His knee is playing up. The other day he bent down to pick up something from a shop shelf and it seized up causing him great pain. It's been bothering him for months now.

*sigh*

Thank you so much for your prayers and good wishes, it really blesses me and my family. If there's anything you want me to pray for then just ask.

Hugs.

Difficult times

I'm really struggling with things at the moment, it seems everything has come at once.

Ever since I had that gastroscopy my stomach's been worse. Now I have a weird virusy cold. Couldn't eat my tea last night - urgh the smell of it cooking was yukky-, was in bed by 7pm. I feel so tired and down at the moment. I think part of it is a virus, but I think part of it is stress. Next Tuesday I'm going for a scan on my gall bladder, I pray fervently there's nothing wrong with it, because right now I could really do without it!

Both my kiddiwinks are having a hard time at school right now, every morning Squidge doesn't want to go to school and I have to leave her in the classroom crying every day. I've been meeting with the teacher about it, I've even been to the doctors', but she's still unhappy. It breaks my heart. She just tells me the work is too hard, but she is doing absolutely fine.

Chatterbox has been suffering recently too, her friend has been taking things off her and because I rang her mother about it she's taken some pens from Chatterbox and won't give them back and has now fallen out with Chatterbox. Chatterbox is so open and friendly that sometimes she gets taken advantage of. My little treasure. I hate to think of her breaking up with such a long time friend. I spoke to her teacher too, I'm not sure why this has suddenly happened.

My nan is worse. We had a phone call this morning from my auntie that neither of her legs will work now. She can't get out of bed, she can't stand and she can't make it to the commode. We are wondering if it is time she went into the hospice as she needs proper nursing care now, but nan is frightened of hospital environments, so we are not sure how she will take it. Added to that my granddad fell last night at 3 in the morning.

My grandma (my mum's mum) has also fallen recently and can't bend one of her legs, so she is struggling too now.

I know I need to get close to the Rock, my Saviour, and as I said in my previous post He is with me and within me. I just need to stay focused on that.

I would covet your prayers right now not just for me, but for my family.

Thanks xxxx

Autumn activities and traditions

We made Autumn box gardens. It was Squidge who insisted we made these, she'd got the idea from one of her library books. Squidge and I had lots of fun collecting all the leaves and twigs and whatnot. Once Chatterbox saw Squidge's box she wanted to make one too!







Perhaps this will become a new autumn tradition.

Speaking of autumn traditions, when I was younger me and my mum used to make Jack O'Lanterns with swedes (no I don't mean Swedish people I mean rutabagas which are known as swedes (swedish turnip) over here!). This is the first year I've bought pumpkins. I thought they'd be solid like swedes, so I planned to make soup or whatever with the innards. So I was very surprised to find they are pretty much hollow! The Jack O'Lantern is a product of an old Irish folklore tale (well as far as I know it is!) :) In case you're wondering, I know the Jack O'Lantern is now associated with Halloween, but we just made these for fun.



Another Autumn tradition is the game of conkers. We collected loads after church from the horse chestnut tree across the road from church. It's very hard to collect conkers in heels! We used some to decorate the garden boxes and we saved some for the game. Hubs is going to get us some string.




Lovely and shiny aren't they? Horse chestnut isn't edible. You know I've never had sweet chestnut!

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

Blackpool Illuminations.

Today after pancakes and cleaning out under the stairs we went to Blackpool to visit the illuminations. It took hubs ages to get the above photograph, we set the camera to night mode and then we had to put it on a fence to keep it steady as it took about 30 seconds for the exposure. It turned out well, but it wasn't worth faffing about for 30 seconds to try to get every photo looking this good.

The weather was a bit ominous as we travelled there and there was a torrential downpour. But by the time we'd parked up it had all cleared up.

Here are some of the tableaux. Our camera is not great with night-time photos so many of them haven't turned out.

This one (above) says, 'Jesus Light of the World'

Blackpool is a seaside resort, it's not the most upmarket place and is the haunt of many hen and stag nights. But it's fun for children and has the Pleasure Beach with lots of roller coaster rides and other attractions.

This is the 'Big One' roller coaster - you can just about make out the carriages on the big drop.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

This is one of the decorated trams

Squidge wearing a headband with dangly pink things and ribbons that sparkled with little lights.

We had a great time, but I'm exhausted now. I should be in bed really, but hubs is watching Alien and I keep thinking, "An extra hour in bed tomorrow" (here in the UK the clocks go back an hour tonight).