NT Wright quote

“Albert Schweitzer, a century or more ago, used another strong image. Jesus, he said, was like a man convinced the wheel of history was going to turn in the opposite direction. He waited for this to happen, but it didn’t. Then he threw himself upon the wheel, and it crushed him—but it did indeed start to turn in the other direction.” ― N.T. Wright, Simply Good News

I love reading

Ahhhh, the bliss of time to read and read and read. We've been so busy the past year that I just haven't had time to do all the reading and pondering and wondering that I LOVE to do. New Year's resolution...make time!! The downfall to all this, is that the house is so untidy that I think it would just be easier to hand the keys over to the mortgage company and go rent somewhere clean and tidy.

Boots, on the other hand, thinks that I should read less and pay her more attention!

You know it's Christmas when you super-glue a wreath to your finger!

My poor dad

The arrow won't wash off! Haha

Well my dad finished his radiotherapy on Friday! Whoop! But on Saturday morning he cut his finger badly, spent all morning at Urgent Care and was been referred to a Plastic Surgeon Monday morning, for possible nerve damage!

My poor dad! The hospital confirmed that he had severed the nerve, it was an exhausting day as they were so busy and Dad had to wait and wait.

Apparently the nurses applauded when dad finally went off to theatre lol they felt so sorry for him. Dad said they were so lovely and kind to him, plying him with tea and biscuits all day.

Praying that it heals up quick.  He will have to have physio to prevent it stiffening up as the nerves regenerate themselves gradually.

My dad

My dad is having an operation today for an aggressive cancer.  So we are praying that it goes well.  I love him so much.

Hubs is driving him there this morning.

He will then have intensive radiotherapy for a couple of weeks.  So he will probably be very tired.

**the op went well, praise God**

Leak!

We have a leak in the kitchen.

I'd been lamenting why we were getting mould in the cupboards.  I'd clean them, made sure the kitchen was always well aired, but we were still getting this damp in certain cupboards.

Then this evening I walked into the kitchen and noticed that the lino was lumpy and had weird bubbles that I could squash with my feet.

Anyway, hubs pulled up the floor and lo and behold, the dishwasher water inlet pipe has been leaking under the lino for some time.  The floor is soaked and, when we started to pull them all apart we can see how the damp has damaged all the cupboards.

*sigh*

No wonder our water bill was so high!

Juggling L

L has been doing British Gymnastics certificates in trampolining.

She's getting really good.

I took this photo and I think it looks like she is being juggled! Haha. Bless her.

Arty

For her art lesson, B had to draw and shade a skull.

I think she has done a very good job.

I'm so proud of her xx

The BIGGEST spider in the world!

Well, I could be exaggerating.  But today I caught the biggest spider I've ever seen.  Except I was so totally freaked out by this freak of nature, which I had trapped in a large glass with a slip of card, that instead of just throwing the spider out of the door, I threw the whole glass!

B was also in a state of being freaked out and spent the whole episode stood on a chair!

Oops

I admit I screamed as I released the glass, goodness knows what the neighbours thought we were up to, haha

Segways

A friend of ours gave us some tickets for the girls to have LOTS of fun learning how to ride Segways at Tatton Park.

They had so much fun and it is such a beautiful setting.

So proud!

Our beautiful B has done absolutely fantastic in her GCSEs.  We are so unbelievably proud of her!

So we had to go out and celebrate with a lovely meal together.

Happy birthday Miss B

My beautiful girl is 16 today.

I can't believe it! She's growing up way too fast for me, it only seems like yesterday that she was a baby in arms.

She's fascinated by astro-physics and so we surprised her with a very special present.

I think she might be pleased! haha

Pics from our holiday in North Yorkshire

L is a cow whisperer, they were fascinated by her, haha

The cottage we stayed in was lovely, and surrounded by farmland, but the furnishings were not very practical...no wardrobes and very little drawer space!

Filey beach - the North sea is a little chilly for me!

A mysterious fire at Yorkshire airfield, not on the airfield.  We were all fascinated.  I think it was a pile of tyres that had caught alight.

Friday the 13th - Halifax bomber

Some info about this bomber, if you're interested: Friday 13th

View from the top of York Cathedral

It was quite a climb to the roof of one of the towers of York Cathedral.  I found it quite claustrophobic climbing the seemingly endless spiral staircase to the top. 

John Rylands Library

Today Hubs and I visited John Rylands Library.  What a beautiful and interesting place!

"The John Rylands Library was founded by Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her husband John Rylands. In 1889 the architect Basil Champneys designed the striking gothic building, which took ten years to build and was opened to public readers on 1 January 1900.

The library became part of The University of Manchester in 1972 and currently holds the Special Collections of The University of Manchester Library. Mrs Rylands' memorial to her husband is now part of the third largest academic library in the United Kingdom, and the Deansgate building houses over 250,000 printed volumes, and well over a million manuscripts and archival items."  John Rylands Library

They just don't make buildings like this any more!

Beautiful high ceilings

Spot the peeping dragon!

The main hall of books

Cat heaven

We visited a local animal sanctuary today.  We love to visit the dogs, cats, guinea pigs, goats, donkeys and other animals.

My favourite place was the building that houses the older cats.

It's like cat-lovers' heaven.

I have the best hubs

I was feeling a bit low and hubs came home with these.  He's a keeper! xx

Celebrating the end of exams

Yay, end of exams!

Time to go out with our girls.

Painting from the imagination

Moon-spill

GK Chesterton Quote

Picture taken at a local reservoir

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Praise God.

So a while ago I was constantly having coughing fits for no apparent reason.  I went to the hospital and had a camera up my nostril (ouch) and then down into my throat.

They found I had a small nodule near my voicebox which needed removing.

People at my church and home group had been praying and I had not had any coughing fits for a while.

Today I went into hospital to have it removed.  Obviously before I went I had to clean the house...hubby was amused.

First we waited for a while and then I went through and put on the lovely hospital gown that you have to wear and I sat then in a different waiting room with other people in hospital gowns.

First I saw a nurse who took my blood pressure and asked me how I was.  I told her I wasn't coughing anymore.

Then I saw an anaesthetist who asked me various questions and explained the anaesthetic.  He asked how my health was, I told him I wasn't coughing anymore.

I then saw the registrar who would be assisting that day in theatre, he asked me various questions.  I told him I wasn't coughing anymore.

Finally, I saw the consultant who would be doing the operation.  I told him I wasn't coughing anymore.  And he listened!  I had another camera down to have a look in my throat.

And...the nodule isn't there anymore.  Not even a mark!

I didn't need the operation.  Praise God!!