A little love in my heart

Ah ha, well when I said that I knew how to put pictures on the Blog, it did mean of course that they were already accessible on my lap top. Sadly I haven't really worked out how to take pictures with the digital camera yet so I'm guessing downloading will be even more fun. Managed to delete an entire collection and have absolutely no idea how I did it....... Oh good grief!

CONGRATULATIONS to Alex and Steve on baby Mia Jasmine who put in her first appearance this weekend. Well done to all of you.

Also this weekend Granny Trek finished and I am looking forward to Beryl's last Journal entry.

I on the other hand had a different type of Sunday to Granny Beryl. 5am saw me in the shower, scoffing Weetabix and on the road with the 'Crew' to get to Waltham Abbey to join in fun called the London to Cambridge Charity Bike Ride. No, the Crew (Me Ali, Dion, Karen & Mandy) didn't actually ride on the event this time, we were more, well, spectators. Well I certainly was. How jolly clever of the people at Breakthrough Breast Cancer to recognise that I would be uncontrollable in my support with all the hunky, lithe bodies in tight Lycra............!!!

Next local event is the London to Windsor fun ride, starting from Richmond Green on 4 September. This Ride will be in support of the NSPCC. For the more energetic among you, log on to www.bike-events.com for more information and on other rides in the UK and Europe.

Sod how 'politically incorrect' it is but my only requirement for the early starts are that the De Vere boys are there in abundance this time........

Biker babes

Okay now beware, I have discovered how to stick pictures on the Diary Blogger section. Yeeha, me and technology, fabulous dahlings.....

This is a pic of me and Karen on Simon's Harley the day before the CBT (compulsory basic training) Test. See, she looked a natural right from the start.

Granny's rapid weight loss diet

Being mindful of the fact that I would like to shed some more weight and am about to savour the delights of the apparently fast acting cabbage soup diet, it was interesting to see that Granny has shed a stone on her Trek. Amazing!

So I was wondering.........if I trekked across the States....... East to West........how much weight would I lose.........

Oh yeah, blast, Forrest Gump did that one didn't he.....

grannytrek.co.uk

Please log on to www.grannytrek.co.uk and discover a spirited and fabulous woman who is about to complete a great task. This is a Granny who will have walked the length and now the breadth of the UK. She and her husband undertook a trek from Lands End to John O Groats (or was it the other way around?!) and raised a fabulous amount of money for a local Charity. Beryl is now undertaking a solo walking trek (apart from Rudi & Fritz) from Lowestoft to St Davids, raising money for the Childrens Hospice South West.

She is planning to arrive in St Davids Head on Saturday 23 July.

She needs loads of support and the general public have been great and offered up lots of hard earned dosh for her very worthy cause. Please do check out her web site and catch up with her adventures. It's almost the end of the month and that means payday for most of you so please consider posting a cheque, whatever the amount, to help.

I would have loved to be at St Davids to meet Granny, particularly as it is my homeland, unfortunately I have to be somewhere else at 7am on the 24 July which would make it impossible. I'm with you in spirit Granny, rock on....................

Harley Goddess

This news deserves a post all of it's own.

Sunday afternoon I was struggling in through my front door with bags and bags laden with M&S fruit and veg for my Cabbage Soup Diet (well gotta succeed at something!) ((or is that fail at yet one more thing!!)) when the gutteral roar of motorbikes got my attention. Looking up I saw Simon on his Harley and then a second bike appear.

Karen L had bought herself a shiny blue Harley 883 Sportser...!!!!

I felt so pleased and proud of Karen, achieving a great task she is now set for great adventures.

Never have I seen such a perfect couple. Karen and Simon looked really happy and the bikes looked in total harmony. Pictures soon. Isn't there a collective noun for a pair of motorbikes? A brace, a gaggle, a flock............???

Inspector Gadget

I've said it before and I'll say it again - when you're feeling low feed your soul. So I did, took myself off to Stroud to see Shelagh 'No Labels' in The Tempest on Friday night. Such fun and very enjoyable. Sitting on her decking over looking Rodborough Common in glorious sunshine Saturday morning I decided to take myself and Ms No Labels off to the beach. We went to Ogmore and Southerndown in South Wales, places of considerable joy in my youth.

One of the great things about my beloved homeland is that the beaches are sandy. No I mean proper sand, the sort of sand you can make huge castles with, the sort that's scrummy to squish between your toes. And living in Wales you are no more than 30 mins away from a beach.

Well like all things, places also evolve, and Ogmore has evolved into a souless place. Doesn't seem to know what it is or what it wants to be. I would remove the very unfriendly mobile snack bar from the car park straight away..................

Can someone please tell me what this craze is for taking portable bbq's to the beach? Look just because something is possible doesn't mean ya should! It was scorching hot, really fabulous and suddenly mini bbq's popped up all over the place and so did the smoke and pungent smells. YUK.

Have we all become totally incapble of making our own entertainment without gadgets?

Bikes r not us

Today I took another bike test ........and today I had another fail.

Bloody hell how much humiliation can anyone take?!

Okay this time I was having a great time, enjoying the ride and all of a sudden I hear the words, 'cancel your indicator please Tanie'. Instant fail. I'd had my indicator on as I went past a side road. What else is there left to fail on for God's sake? I am so fed up and in need of a hug, a big hug from my Daddy. In fact I'm going to send my Daddy round to sort the Examiner out.........

Domino's pizza man nearly got more than his £1.50 tip a moment ago....................

And the baby is.......

....to be a BOY...!!!!

As Alex was working Natalie asked me to attend the 22 week scan last week, the one that can often determine the sex of the unborn baby. Things have certainly changed since I was pregnant and I was awash with awe as I was introduced to my Grandson who punched the air, kicked Natalie's bunched up organs and then opened his mouth very wide a few times. Some may say he was yawning but I believe he was talking to his Mum and Nanna. It was an amazing experience and one that I think would be difficult to surpass, in fact why would you want to?

Perhaps it was obvious he was to be a boy as my vegetarian daughter is craving meat of all description and has developed a very aggressive nature. Far too many male testosterone hormones in there methinks.

I talk regularly to him and now I know he's a he I can bond even more. They are favouring the name Loki so we can call him by his name when talking to Natalie's bump. Say it often and it'll grow on you. Natalie is heavily into Ancient History and Loki is a character from Nordic times that was very naughty & mischievious and is now chained up to rocks as punishment. I think that's the jist of it, will check in more detail with her and correct where needed!

I really must remember that this is Natalie's baby not mine.........

Well having been introduced to Loki I decided that the handsome chap needed everything that a new baby should have so Nat and I went shopping and I managed to deplete Mothercare, Next, BHS and M&S of all boys baby clothes, prams, cots etc.

Looking forward to meeting you Loki xx

When the mood takes you

Ants in my pants took me off on a whirlwind trip recently. Went up to Scotland to see Tori who I worked with at Countryside Properties some time ago. Took a Pitstop at Ali and Roger's in Morecombe on the way up. Sat with Ali playing Scrabble drinking bubbly with Roger playing many a tune on the guitar. It was a great end to a very pleasant day. They say that everyone has a talent in them that someone falls in love with, Ali and Roger have a good thing going. And hey you two I do have a FABULOUS pink hat that's available for weddings................

I arrived in Glasgow with some time to spare before I met up with Tori so did what I have a talent for.........shopping! Yep I did buy a pair of shoes. Look, they were in the sale okay and are pink sandal type things so will be perfect for the journey......

Tori has a great flat, one with very tall ceilings and original floorboards, coving and ceiling roses, and made me extremely welcome. We ate so much food I put on at least half a stone in 3 days!! We visited the Burrell Collection, and no not the twat of a valet or butler to Diana, Princess of Wales, but the chap who played competition with Randolph Hearst in creating a collection of artworks and antiquities. Hearst had a far bigger bankroll to play with but there are 9000 pieces in the Burrell Collection and only ever about 2500 on show at any one time.
On Sunday we went to the Scottish Show at Scone (pronounced skoon) Palace. It was very entertaining and we met up with Tori's family who had travelled down to stay with Auntie Fiona for the Show. Scottish hospitality is superb and they made me feel very very welcome.

Even the Police and security forces were out in full force and there was me thinking that it was all for me when in fact it was for Tony Blair and his cronies at the G8! A lot of people were in town for that I can tell you.

The mountains and lochs were a spectacular sight and it always astounds me that as man we create swathes of cities into million years of evolution yet 20 minutes away our pathetic destructive attempts can not be marred by Nature in all its glory. Glencoe is a must- see and Glasgow is a beautiful city that I would encourage you all to experience.

And what of motorbiking I hear you ask? Well I dropped briefly in on Travelling Companion on the way home and he gave me some very useful advice and allowed me to rethink the project without the pressure that I have been putting myself under. TC's Mum fed and watered me and I was then ready to continue my journey on the M1.

That motorway really is a pig to drive on. But it would help enormously if car drivers actually drove properly. Soap box coming up..... Why the bloddy hell do drivers sit in lanes? All it does is clog up the motorway. You drive on the inside lane and only come out to overtake then move back in. Simple isn't it??! Well drop the testosterone fellas, give up your licence you old farts and all of you just move back into the left lane......grrrrrr

Lazy day today and then back to business tomorrow