Great News, stupendous News!

Not only stupendous,  but fantastic, amazing and it all gives me cold feet and the collywobbles.

Last week my Mesh (PC) to you guys died no, went all queer on me!  I had been having troubles with it,  the mouse would freeze, or suddenly in the midst of working on something it would blank out and restart Windows again, a nuisance that let me tell you all.  You should have heard the blue language.  I spoke sternly at it, but to no avail suddenly when Windows started up there were a plethora of red lines right across the monitor, and that was IT.  Next day I took it to my friend Igor the PC Dr. and he was having a look at it. And He found that although the hard drive was okay the motherboard had died.  As I had been wanting to go over to Apple Mac like the rest of the family, although I had thought to wait till later in  the year when the new Leopard: Snow Leopard had come out, I decided to change over there and then, took the bull by the horns, booked my a personal shopper and had Dave show me what is what in the Mac world. There just has been brought out a new i.Mac and I did a lot of research; originally thought I would go for the 24 inch, the  bigger the better I thought; but Dave suggested the 2" easier on the eyes he said.  He did suggest I upgraded to 4Gb memory and a 640 hard drive, stating that I would have more than enough.  

I also added Aperture 2 and FileMaker to it as well as ordering a new HP printer: the HP C8180 which is a scanner, printer, fax, copier and has Lightscribe facility (this allows to print pictures/or label straight on the DVD) something I have wanted for a long time.  Those of you who have had my holiday movie DVD would know why. I put this order in almost immediately and awaited the delivery notice, it would take a week or so although that would mean the delivery would occur.  Sooner than that  I got a delivery during the 4 days we were away.  Luckily I scanned the invoice and found to my horror that they had put in an Epson printer almost the same as the HP only no Lightscribe facility.  I phoned immediately and pointed this out and they couldn't have been more helpful.  They ordered the HP and told me that they would arrange for the Epson printer to be collected and refund me.  And then on Monday 20th when I was away all day with the 'In Stitchers' for our AGM and they to deliver 20 cushions we had made for Horton House a special charity for returned wounded veterans.  Little did I know that I was also getting a delivery of my own.   

Upon my return John told me that the hallway was full of packages, and it certainly was: the i.Mac and TWO printers; they managed to get the HP to me as well.  Oh joy oh bliss.

I shoved everything into my work room; drew the curtains and blinds so no one could look in, imagine a break-in at this time, not to be thought of.  So I am one happy bunny but also rather scared.  So guess what I am doing this weekend.  I am also planning to clear out a lot of extraneous stuff to make the workroom a bit more user friendly, so I will be busy for now on!  Bookshelves will be seen too, as well as other brickabrac.

That's it folks from your  froggy friend

Latest Update

Just a quickie about my sisters Maryse & Jolijn's 75th birthday celebration. We, that is John and myself together with the Jellies had been invited for their special birthday dinner party on the 21st, although their actual birthday was on the 20th which they celebrated just among themselves in the company of company of David and Didi (Jolijn's only son) who came over with her from Holland on the 19th. Misa's son Martijn also the eldest, arrived on Saturday for lunch just as we did. We arrived nice and early having left home at 9 am and this time we didn't go via Stonehenge!!!

For their special birthday I had made each of them a sampler, something I love to do unfortunately this is the only picture I have of them, Misa's somehow got lost somewhere but it is just the same only with Maryse on it, and her roses are yellow. Got tired of doing the second lot with the pink.

as you can see it was a beautiful warm spring day, with lots of flowers everywhere. Misa's new fountain was running. this was a present of her children. A lovely lunch outside, and then afterwards we sat about either having a rest, chatting and getting ready for the evening do. There were 1 of us, luckily at two tables in a delightful hotel in Coleford, near where Maryse lives. Wonderful food and wine, company was enjoyed by all. The others being David's son and daughter-in-law and one of his daughter's and son-in-law. They both live not to far away. Maryse wanted us to meet David's children and Didi and Martijn and us two were from her side of the family. We stayed at the Cottage, she seems to have place for us all, although Martijn stayed at David's as he didn't want to share a bunk bed with Didi; they both being rather large chaps.

We all met up for a brunch at 10 am and then we all dispersed around 11.30, Didi going back to Holland via Bristol, Martijn to his home in Cambridgeshire and we home to Godalming via Christina's home in Long Compton so that we could see her, and pick up the marmalade she makes for John each year.We were quite tired as we came home a little late having to battle with the heavy traffic.

But on Monday eve we tootled off to St.Albans to see Caitlin perform in Much Ado About Nothing. She was playing Beatrice of of the leading parts, and very good she was indeed. It was a great performance these youngsters put on, and Caitlin was by far the best. (Not Oma-speak this but it is so) The stage setting was very imaginative with a huge circular cloth representing the forest and various cushions as well as a couple of stools which had the habit of emitting a loud crack when the person on it stood up. Also Beatrice got stuck under the circular forest. Due to the fact that the audience was meant to have gone out in the interval so she could emerge, and of course we didn't. But non the less it was great performance even though the actors spoke at a cracking speed which caused the play to end rather earlier than expected. It appeared also that some of them skipped a couple of pages which caused Beatrice to sprint across the stage in various directions. Shaun comment: "didn't know Caitlin could run that fast!" The proud Dad before the performance and unfortunately one of the few better pix.

Here is Caitlin in full make up afterwards at home. Not in her stage clothes, they were mostly dressed in modern costumes but that worked very well. The 'men' were splendid in beards and moustached but we were not allowed to take photos during the performance so I only have this one:

Thats it for now folks, till the next time.

About time too; Spring has sprung at last!

Its been an age since I last posted a post. Life is just too short, or rather the days haven't enough hours I could do with more than 24. As you can all imagine I have been very busy the last weeks; what with my Mac training once a week which entails going up to London for the day. I thoroughly enjoy these sessions and have learnt a tremendous amount. Did iMovie and iDVD which was extremely useful for getting my summer movies edited as well as doing iPhoto for the photos. As you all know I turned these into album books as my Christmas presents for the family. All except for Louise as I am still working on that one. Her movies have to be burnt in the American video mode for viewing. Not Pal but the other one NTSC. Meanwhile Apple Mac have brought out a new version of iLife09 which has many more features and makes the editing especially in iMovie much better and easier. Just in time for the movies of the Demetres, and once I have finished these it will all go off as an Easter present.

The other thing I have to report is the visit the St. Albanites made to Peperharow Road on the Wednesday of their half term in February. Caitlin and Fiona were off to view Farnham Art School in view of the photography course that Caitlin might want to pursue. Its is still one of the best in the country as it was all those years ago when when Micko went there in the '70s. Of course it is still early times and things or her mind may change somewhat by the time she is 18. But she is growing up fast; and so is Shaun. He stayed with us while the others went to Farnham and went with us on a Jellies' walk. It was a new one for him. John had to go to the bank in Godalming and Shaun and I mooched about there after having gone to Waitrose to get some things for our supper/tea which we all had before they went home again

here he is disguised as a sheik

The bank took longer than planned so Shaun and I lurked in the Bay tree Cafe and had a drink and played with my new mobile phone. he was much better at using it than I am and was able to give me quite a few tips!! oh to be a member of today's youth.

Once home we all had our meal which was enjoyed by all of us. And all too soon it was time for them to be homeward bound. But not before Caitlin invited us to come and see her play Beatrice in Much to Do About Nothing on the 23rd of March. Will report back on that after that date, we are definitely going!!!

Meanwhile spring has definitely sprung there are daffodils out in our garden and polyanthus as well as out in the surrounding; tulips appearing every where in my pots or surprisingly elsewhere in the garden; but not in flower yet. It is also warmer when it isn't overcast or raining. We've had quite a harsh winter but hopefully that is now a distant memory

Thats it folks till next time (but don't hold you breath it may be a while) the Jellies send greeting too.

Present from Russia!!!

Back of Copse Edge 02/02/

Last night when we went to bed the snow started to fall, we had been warned of the dire weather coming, and boy did it come. This morning we woke to a white world, everything covered the at least 2 ft of snow, and it was still snowing heavily. John got up at 6.19 and started dressing. He was going out to clear the drive. Of course then it was panic stations as he couldn't find his wellies. Well considering he hadn't worn them in a couple of years, they weren't where they should have been. For one horrible moment I thought I might have thrown them out, but then remembered where they were. Thanks to the ginkho biloba I take every day. It was stunning and beautiful, so silent and so white; and not at all cold.

by the side door, this is what we saw!
The Jellies at first didn't care for this at all and refused to go out so we all had breakfast and got on with our chores; John to feed the birds; who soon cottoned on they must have been hungry and me to my work room which was in a most terrible mess. On Saturday I had a plumber (Darren) come to desludge my radiators in flat 1. For several days during the last weeks the boiler had conked out so that I had to have the British Gas engineers around several times. They are very good and come almost immediately, but to no avail: neither of them could find what was wrong, they said they had checked everything and couldn't find a single fault. But every now and then all the radiators would be stone cold, and then just before the engineer came all would be working again. It was lucky though that the desludging took place as we have now located the problem, the Darren found out that the pump needs an auto air vent fitted to the pump. This at the end of the day after nearly 6 hours of work. He and I decided however to have the heating on all the time at a lower temp. and now we are ever so warm and cosy. But at soon as the pump does it again, out will British Gas have to come and I will tell them what to do. But to cut a long story short I had to take remove all the items around and near the radiators so that Darren and his mate could get at them; and boy was my work room a mess; stuff everywhere, I could hardly move. I was that tired so that yesterday I didn't go there at all, but this morning I had to come in and sort it out. With much pain I managed it, but the up side is that I found a lot of lost things or items I had forgotten about, plus was able to get rid of even more.

By twelve I felt that we, the Jellies and I (John thought a walk was a no-no) but we didn't; so booted and wearing a warm coat I opened the front door, and Jed and Nellie took off down the drive and out on the silent and quiet street. They LOVED it, gamboled about biting the snow, chasing each other. It was hard to control them so I turned back to the garden where they could have really fun. It was difficult to get up and down the steps since these were invisible, but by carefully feeling them I managed it.

The Jellies loving every minute of it!

Birdbath with snow

Gate into Charterhouse woods. This is what it is like everywhere. So here you have it, the first real snowfall as thick as this for 18 years. No wonder the berries had been so thick and so many this autumn.

A very great day: 12th January 2009

                                                                

You have guessed it! It was Alessia aka Beanie's first birthday and what an occasion it was! And there were balloons all over, although the biggest and the pride of the collection had vanished into the stratosphere from the push chair when Dad Mike and Alessia went to collect them.   

She was beautifully dressed in a purple blue dress that auntie Giovanna had given her for Christmas and she was wearing it for the very first time she looked so sweet and lovely in it.

                                                                               

The whole Agrawal family plus Rita's  cousin Paula from Sicily who comes every Christmas, and Alessia's godmother  Rosie were already there.  I was the last to arrive, just myself as John stayed home with the Jellies, there would have been too many of us.  It was Alessia's day after all.

When I arrived   she was having her birthday lunch:   Clelia, Lidia and Paula all helping her.  She was enjoying her meal very much in spite of all the attention to distract her as she loves her food.   We were all had champagne drink to celebrate this special occasion; and once we had finished that it was time to go and look at the many presents she had received.    Here is Rita taking  her  for the many cards and presents that there were for Alessia to open.          There were quite few books for Rita and Mike  to read to her every night. This was a great favourite 

 She was very much taken with sign of "Chateau Alessia Kobrak   although Mike wasn't too sure where it could go as their new home in Tuscany will be called Ca' Alessia.  One of her favourite Xmas present from her uncle Robert, was a fantastic walker with multiple items on the front such as bells and hooters and even with her own telephone!  She even gave a demonstration how well  she was learning to walk by going up and down the outside corridor of  flat 30 accompanied by  grandfather Ratan and other onlookers. I have a little bit of film but am not sure if I can get it into this blog However will have a try. If not till the next time.

 And from now on I suppose she is no longer Beanie but Alessia although for her Oma she will always privately be "Beanie"  

Here I am again this is the continuation from yesterday!

Part II

Right where was I? Oh yes Fiona's 50th. As I wrote Fiona thought that it was going to be dinner for them four, with Paul Caitlin and Shaun on 3rd;there was another party on her actual birthday the 4th! She had no idea of the other guests who had congregated in town. Only in the afternoon after Nancy & Jim had arrived together with Sue and Alistair that morning, had gone for a walkabout in the afternoon ( they were not going to sit in their hotel room) and Nancy was trying on a blouse while Jim kept guard when all of a sudden he spotted Fiona at the same time as she spotted him. Fiona being Fiona did a double take gave her Dad a little wave and sauntered off. That evening they had a good laugh about it; and Fiona admitted she mentally enlarged the dinner to 6. But what a surprise when she entered the private room at Loch Fynne (the restaurant) and saw all the other guest. There were balloon a ginormous pink 50, champagne ready for pouring a black board decorated appropriately by John and Siena (Darra's daughter) and all of us signing Happy Birthday. Fiona looked lovely in her black top with 3 rows of pearlized buttons round her neckline and cuff. And me without my camera, I had been too cold that to remember it!!! A shame because we were all in our best finery. We had a wonderful time and meal lots of wine to drink for those who could and Fiona had some great presents including a diamond pendant to which we had all contributed and is on order. Well if you don't have diamond by the time you are 50 when then?

After this birthday it was John's on the 8th of Jan, a Thursday. We intended to go out for a special meal that evening at a super restaurant Kinghams in Shere. By special request. But unfortunately John had a very important meeting in Brighton, lunch with someone he was anxious to see, and I had to go along as a witness.

This meant the Jellies as well. We were due at 12 o'clock at a Manor near Brighton and left at 10 am which didn't give us much time for a walk and anyway it was fiercely cold so it was once around a picnic area at the bottom of the South Downs. We decided that two big meals on the same day was too much so we decided to postpone it all for a day to Friday. He had his cards which I had saved, and his presents some nice glasses to replace our chipped collection and another DVD series: Band of Brothers. Its quite a series which we had not seen and its very good, only after all that war, fighting and soldiers who all looked alike to me we decided to give it a bit of a rest. By as a contrast I got the Rosamund Pilchard series much more my style that John's. We now take turn and turn about. And all this time it was bitterly cold well below zer0. this was taken on Sunday 11th when we were envelopped in a freezing fog all day. But we went out specially to take some photos like this cobweb there were masses of them about, really spectacular. Unfortunately I find the cold really doesn't help my sciatic nerve and I was in too much pain to walk further and take many pix.

And then Monday 12th a very special day: "Beanie as she still is to me" was 1 year old and we had been summons to a family party at the Piper Building. There were at least 6 from Rita's side of the family and only me from Micko's side, as John elected to stay at home with Jellies; he had too much to do from his Thursday meeting. So I went on my own and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The Birthday Girl looked so lovely in this gorgeous dress; French of course, Giovanna had bought it in Paris no less. When I arrived she was sitting eating her lunch with most of the females fluttering around . She got masses of presents from all over the world, a lot of clothes, in fact that girl could change clothes at least 3 x a day and not wear the same thing for a month! But she got lots of children books which her parents will read to her; and best of all lots of toys. Her favourite was a giant lego box. She loves taking things out and putting them back.

Here is one of her favourite men in her life who can't do enough for her!

She is definitely begining to walk and was given a wonderful stroller for Christmas with lights, tunes and even a telephone on it! Here she is going up and down the corridor with her Grandfather cheering her on.

Wow it seems as if I had disappeared from earth into space

Its been that long since I last wrote anything, and worse I also had no time to read other people's blogs and make comments. SO SORRY. So much has happened. November 29 th John had a car accident and had his thumb pulled out of its socket and was in a plaster/plastic caste for three weeks, (all is fine there) but his car wasn't, its still being repaired due to the insurance company ballsing everything up, and new parts that need to be imported from Europe. Luckily John was able to rent a car in spite of his advanced age so we weren't stuck as me and the Jellies not so happy about traveling in the Stag, although I miss an automatic, hire car = Ford Fiesta with gears.

Any way December wasn't easy what with Christmas and having to get my Xmas presents finished. All members of the immediate family received a Mac photo album + videos on a DVD. I had spent months learning how to do this, most of my one-to-one sessions were spent on that, but it was well worth it. And now (by request) I got from the family Final Cut 4 which should make my films a lot better. When I mentioned that I had been given this to one of my trainers their reply was that I must be getting on ever so well as only specialised trainers could help me there. I also got myself the corresponding book so perhaps I will be fine.

To begin with the Xmas festivities my ladies in Stitch & Chatter had decided not to go out for a Christmas lunch but instead have a Xmas tea here in Flat 1. Every one brought something, I resuscitated my Xmas table clothes and bought some special table candle decorations (which I later used in Flat 2) and we had a wonderful time feasting , giving cards and little 'gifties'. I really wasn't in the mood for too much Christmas decorations as my back and sciatic nerve was paining me so much that the pain killers took all my energy away (but of that more later). Actually I suddenly got in the mood on Christmas Eve after listening to the 9 lessons and Carols from King's College which was magical, and really put me in the mood. Nonetheless only the minimal decoration and our fake tree was brought up as John had stored every thing under the stairs in the cellar which was inaccessible . Still with greenery gathered/stolen from the woods it all looked quite festive.

However Christmas Eve and Day John and I were on our own, every one was celebrating with their own families, and John and I had our presents on Christmas day; lots of lovely things, one a super fleece top for me, and jeans and a new jacket for John as well as the Poirot series and Miss Marple with Joan Hickson for me. She was by far the best Miss Marple of them all. We went for some good walks and just took it easy although I was also working on Alessia's sampler that had to be finished by the 12th of Jan.

The various families came for lunch on various days after: John's two sons and new daughter-in-law on the 27th; the St. Albanites + Fred on the 28th, and on the 30th Mike, Rita & Alessia with Fred. He was staying with each of the families so of course he was welcome. I had ordered most of the food from Waitrose so all I had to do is stick food in the oven and lay the table. I had main courses, puddings and snick snacks for all the days. Worked very well only the fridge and freezer were overflowing and some of the food had to be stowed out side. Luckily the weather played along as after Xmas we had some very cold weather; it was freezing below -2 0r -1 for several days and below that at night. Waitrose came up trumps and included instructions with all the main courses, vegs. and even the snick snacks except for the glazed gammon. With that came nothing so I assumed it was table ready. On the 27th just before we were due to sit down I wasn't too happy about its looks, cut a sliver off and found it red and not pink. What to do, panic panic! Had brilliant idea and bunged it into the microwave for 20 min. on high. Then into the oven for final glazing. It was superb, and the best of all the main courses. I will remember that.

On the 28th as I said Paul, Fiona Caitlin Shaun and Fred came; and after lunch we gave each other the various presents; especially Louise's wonderful photo album with all her Tuscan photos. They are really great and something to be looked at many a time.

Opa Fred and Caitlin in the kitchen
And on the 30th it was Michael, Rita & Alessia came for lunch

as you can see Alessia loves to make a mess by emptying our bucket of theatre programs, and then she will tidy up again.

And she is about to start walking, with a little help from Opa.

After the New Year which we spent at home watching our new videos; there was Fiona's 50th surprise dinner in St Albans which was really wonderful, her parents and brother & sister-in-law plus Darra Paul's best man with his family and of course John and myself had been invited to lovely restaurant in St. Albans.

Because it was so freezing cold John gave in to my pleas and we left the Jellies at home, rather than taking them with us and having them for 4 1/2 hours freezing in the car. They were perfectly okay and I don't think the were aware of our absence.

the white icicles on this bush with red berries will show how cold it was.

Must go now to have my toenails clipped. And prepare Jellies and our meal afterwards

So bye bye ....................................................... to be continued tomorrow my post on Fiona's party, John's 81st and Beanie's first birthday party.