Today Sue my friend, whom I met on registration day at college in 1974 came to visit bringing Daisy her gorgeous 8 month old Granddaughter with her. Suddenly I'm feeling old, as friends who had their first child around the time I had my first born are becoming grandparents.
Suddenly it seems as if summer is back, so fingers crossed.

Thank goodness I am now on annual leave for a week and with no plans or pressure to do anything, I'm looking forward to relaxing!
I have been tested and examined in different ways during the week. I have seen a gynaecologist, had some scans and am awaiting an mri which will inform the surgeon what exactly he will have to do when he operates on me in a few weeks. Before my dear friend Jan starts worrying, I am assured that I don't have anything horrible lurking, but my bothersome problems are due to wear and tear of long ago labours and births of two large babies!
My maths course completed and with confidence, not mine, but my tutors I arrived in town to sit my exam on Thursday afternoon. I had allowed plenty of time to go and have a coffee and sandwich before the ordeal, but fortunately before I had placed my order at the counter of Cafe Nero I discovered that my purse was at home. A little panic set in as I wondered how I was going to release my car from the car park. Anyway, I put that behind me and went off to the exam centre, feeling some what hungry and thirsty. To my utter amazement I emerged a couple of hours later having passed the exam! I wanted to shout 'up yours Mrs Wales', but composed myself as I remembered the little problem I had of getting my car.
I rang Elaine, not because I expected her to be my knight in shining armour because I knew she was too far away to help, but because I needed to talk to someone. Elaine reminded me that another friend of ours worked close by, so I rang her and she came to my aid with a £10.00 note, first I bought a sandwich and then I had some change forthe car park and it was homeward bound.
The final test of the week was my PDR at work, which was fine and didn't throw up any surprises!

The weekend is nearly over for most, though my weekend continues through tomorrow as I'm a part timer!
The last week has been pretty busy and mainly with maths or as the Americans say math. I'm doing a maths course and at times wondering why I'm putting myself through this trauma. Because I work for a government organisation the powers that be have decided that all there employees should have a qualification in maths and English. equivalent these days to GCSE a-c, Well I got English way back in 1974, but maths was a different story. Any inclination to learn maths was scared out of me by a Scottish witch who went by the name of Mrs Wales. This woman absolutely terrified the life out of me and was my teacher in the 2nd year of Junior school. There has been no pressure by my employees, but as the opportunity was given I decided to give it a go! I have had a tutor who has given me weekly lessons since May. I have diligently done the assignments and worked my way through the computer course work. I have finished the course work and this week I have been registered online to do the practise tests! Since Monday I have completed four practise tests and failed one and past three. My tutor wants me to do the exam in the next couple of weeks. I wish had the confidence that she has.

Tomorrow is my day off, but I have to go on 'flu training' in the morning. I'm not sure what there is to learn, but I expect a plan has been put in place and should most of the NHS staff be hit down by this pandemic, those of us left behind may be expected to hold the fort. I'm not getting too excited, I don't think I'm going to be let lose in any medical role, but will probably be expected to stop weighing babies, giving advice on toddler behaviour and will instead be answering the telephone!
Between now and next week I have to do three practise maths exam, each taking 1.5 hours, eeek and I still don't understand probability! Does anyone?
Matt doesn't read this, so I can say I'm delighted that he has decided to join a gym and get fit and the reason a girl:).
Ian returned last week from a trip to a conference in Las Vegas, he had booked to stay a few extra days, but paid money to leave earlier than planned. Ian really didn't enjoy his experience and hopes he never has to go there again.

More time has passed and once again I'm beginning to write my blog, in the past I think my friend Jan is the only one who has read it as I haven't told anyone else about it!
Today Steve's sailing course that he was due to teach was cancelled due to wild weather, so we had an unexpected day together. Instead of staying home and doing jobs we headed out to Gunwarfe, our plan to shop, have coffee and see the new HP film. Gunwarfe was horrendously busy. We found a comfy sofa in a coffee shop where settled down to drink hot chocolate and read the papers. Our shopping wasn't particularly successful, sorry Steve but I prefer sharing my shopping experiences with one or other of my girl friends, who are far less interested in trainers and wet suits and much more interested in Ghost, Hobbs & M&S! The HP film was a little bit disappointing and interrupted all the way through by a child of about 7 years old who sat next to Steve and coughed her way throughout the entire film. Was she incubating HN11?
To catch up since May: Our friends from Germany spent a week with us in June. Ian obtained his PHD, Steve turned 50 with a party at the sailing club.

It's five months since I have written this blog. Five months of 2009 have slipped by .We have moved from Winter into Spring and we are now on the verge of Summer, although the blustery storms of the last couple of days doesn't make one feel inclined to throw off the fleeces, put away the boots and bring out the sandals. Yesterday evening we braved the cold at a barbecue to celebrate Maggie's birthday the previous day. It had been Ian's birthday on the same day, how hard it is to believe that our eldest son has reached the the age of 28. At 28 Ian has just begun his first salaried job as a research scientist at Sheffield uni. Ian has submitted his thesis, but doesn't have his viva until sometime in June. Then hopefully with a Phd the world's his Oyster!
Matt too is doing well, his job at Dunster's seems to be flourishing, he is enthusiastic about his work which seems to have been noticed by his employer as he has been promoted and rewarded with a very good pay rise.
2009 is a year of celebration for us. Steve and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a lovely couple of days in Bath. My toyboy reaches his half century in July and Steve has decided he wants a party with live music. The band is booked. along with the sailing club and the caterer.
We have spent a couple of months doing some work in the house, a new floor has been laid in the sitting and dining rooms, rooms have been decorated and a new fireplace fitted, it all looks grand and all on the back of buying a new dining table!
The months previous have been filled with lots of fun social events and great times with friends.

It's now well into 2009 and after a week at work I'm getting used to writing the date on records. How long will it be before I make the first error?
Memory is a strange thing, at lunch time today I called in on my friend Elaine. Elaine told me she had searched two days for her passport and couldn't find it. As soon as Elaine said this I remembered that before Christmas I had taken her out in my car to the building society, Elaine's cards had been compromised and subsequently stopped, thus she needed to take her passport for identification to obtain cash. Elaine was walking on crutches at this time as she was recuperating from surgery. I recalled that Elaine had asked me to put her wallet containing her passport and cheque book into my bag. We were able to piece together the events and although up until today's conversation Elaine hadn't remembered. I recalled that I had telephoned her the same evening to tell her I had inadvertently taken her wallet at home. So where was the passport now? Had I returned it to her, I couldn't for the life of me remember, but I did know where it would be if I had put it somewhere safe. Elaine came home with me and lo and behold I found the documents in my filing cabinet under P:) Thank Goodness Elaine doesn't have to go to London to get a replacement at a cost of nearly £100 in time for a trip she is taking in two weeks.

Good morning 2009 and a very happy new year to all my friends and loved ones. Our new year's eve was spent at home with a few friends. We had a lovely time welcoming in the new year. Elaine who is a Scot advised about the tradition of 'first footing'. Yes, we knew that a tall dark handsome man should be the first over the threshold, bringing with him a piece of coal and a piece of silver. What none of us were aware of was that the same gentleman should bring with him some fish! Well that was according to Elaine's account. After much discussion, a phone call to Elaine's Mother and a check on Wikapedia Elaine was persuaded that she was in fact wrong, but where did she get that information from and will she ever live it down!
I have had a very lazy day today, finished reading Dawn French's book which I received for Christmas and I have watched two films.
Tomorrow I'm planning a trip to Gunwarfe with a Friend, a mooch around the shops, plenty of stops for chat and hot chocolate. Looking forward to doing it again with you really soon Jan.