A Senior Party.

Way back in October 2009 my sister and I began our secret meetings. Mother would be 90 years young on January 17th 2010. How would we celebrate this achievement. We tossed Ideas about. When she was 80 we arranged a family celebratory dinner at a hotel followed by tea and cake back at our house. This time we calculated there would be too many young children to take to a sit down lunch in a hotel. Mum was also that little bit frailer as well. So what should we do?

After throwing around a few ideas, consulting with brother Michael and considering the post Christmas wallet we settled on a simple Afternoon Tea at our house.

We would do the catering between us and attempt to keep the food to simple finger food and I would do the birthday cake, a trifle and some vegan food We decided the Saturday afternoon would be a better day for every one, so invitations were designed and sent out. The weather in the run up to the party was atrocious, ice snow and bitter cold. Luckily for us a last minute thaw cleared the ice away.

Every one invited, with the exception of Christopher and Stephen who couldn't change work schedules, arrived. My modest house started to look very packed. The last arrivals all fitter in comfortably though.

My sister in Law, Agnes took over the tea pot duties. The kids helped themselves to pop and coke. The food seemed to go down well with every one. We insisted mother picked her plateful first ahead of the mad rush!

After to food every one managed to take some photos. I actually managed to get a photo of the five generations of our side of the family with Mum, Me, Sean, Michael and his daughter Caitlyn. Granddaughter Rebecca and her son Nathan make another part of the 5 generations but she can be rather camera shy.

The oldest and youngest members of my family with 90year old Mother and 8 month old Nathan. Actually he isn't the youngest family member as my Brothers daughter, Christine had a son, Joe just 6 weeks ago. (Nathan's ready for home and bed, dressed in his jimjams)
After some persuasion we managed to get a photo of Mum with daughter in law Agnes, son Michael, son in law Colin , daughter Barbara, daughter Monica(me) and son in law David.
Every one had a good time and my niece remarked that it was sad that it took an occasion like this or weddings and funerals to get us all together.

........from BBC local news today

Peterborough City Council bought the ground for £8m Peterborough United's football ground has been bought by a Cambridgeshire council in an £8m deal. The London Road ground and surrounding land has been bought by Peterborough City Council, it was announced during Saturday's 3-0 home defeat to Derby. Council leader Marco Cereste said the council can now "unlock the future potential of Peterborough's riverside". The land was owned by Peterborough United Holdings Limited in a rental agreement meant to last until 2014. The football club, known as The Posh, sold their London Road home to a local property developer in 2003. The Posh Independent Supporters Association launched a campaign in 2009 urging the council to help the club secure a long term home ***************** My thoughts.................... Has the Council that much money to burn...........£8.000,000 for that piece of land............ no wonder our Council Taxes are high.

Isn't Science Wonderfull

Its not only the Newspapers that confuse.

BBC Live News Channel Thursday 29^th October 2009

Women who carry excess weight on the hips and thighs, and apple-shaped men who carry it on the waist, risk dangerous blood clots, say experts.

Being overweight per se is risky, but where the fat accumulates is also critical, say the Danish scientists.

Pear-shaped women with big hips and thighs were at higher risk of dangerous clots, even if they had an "ideal" body weight.

Lead researcher Dr Marianne Tang Severinsen, of Aarhus University Hospital in Aalborg, said: "Until now, the importance of fat distribution and venous thromboembolism risk has not been evaluated.

BBC Live News Channel Tuesday 12^th January 2010

Carrying extra weight on your hips, bum and thighs is good for your health, protecting against heart and metabolic problems, UK experts have said.

Hip fat mops up harmful fatty acids and contains an anti-inflammatory agent that stops arteries clogging, they say.

Big behinds are preferable to extra fat around the waistline, which gives no such protection, the Oxford team said

It seems that science like statistics can be made to confuse and confound.

So who do we believe and what do we believe.

Is there truly global warming or is this weather all part of a natural cycle???

Is a big bum really healthy and protect the heart or will we risk a thrombo embolism??? Seems to me these researchers should confer!

Wheres that packet of crisps.

Friday Morning and I'm looking out of my office window at the snow whirling around outside. The central heating timer has needed to be overridden today to combat the cold. The open fire is great for the lounge but the rest of the house needs the extra heat today.

I decided to miss my swim this morning to let Dave take the car. It's easier than waiting around in the cold for a bus. He's taken his Canadian fur hat out of storage and routed out his long abandon 'long johns' from the back of a draw. That means its really cold!!!

It's been really quiet in the pool this week with so many staying home in the warm, so swimming has been a relaxing pleasure. The waters also seemed as warm as bath water. Maybe it's cos I was fairly cold when I plunged in. My swimming friend, Jan's off on a Caribbean cruise next week, on the newest ocean liner that more like a floating city. I wonder if I could stow away in her suit cases!

I suppose really we've been lucky here with the weather. Yes it's snowed and the temperatures are below freezing, the arctic winds blow colder, but we've escaped the awful blizzards that have snarled up other parts of the country. The schools have remained open this time. No ones been stranded over night and no power lines have come down. Fingers crossed it stays that way!!!

My meager Christmas decorations are down but still awaiting storage. The hall Christmas arrangement has made it as far as the half landing on the stairs where I actually quite like it. Sadly it must be stowed away soon as I've a big family celebration to get ready for by next Saturday.

My Mum will have reached her 90th year. Wow, I wonder If I'll get to that age and still be living independently and doing all my own shopping cooking and housework? Quite an achievement but her eldest brother is 95 and is also doing the same.

The youngest member of the family Little Nathan continues to grow and fascinate everyone with his cheerful smile and attitude. Can you see the family resemblance.... The ears!

An Overnight Lodger

Gold Finches really are the most beautiful little birds to see close up. Yesterday in the freezing weather Dave went out to the garden to bring in more logs for the fire but came back in with a shocked little Gold Finch in his cupped in his hand. We have a niger feeder hanging in the Eucalyptus tree that regularly attracts a small flock of Gold Finches that fly in to feed on them and the sunflower hearts.

The feathers that cover their head and body are so fine that it has the appearance of fine fur or velvet. Their beaks are extremely strong and sharp. Just made for extracting seeds form difficult places and cracking them open.

The little bird in Dave's hand must have flown into the patio door and stunned itself. It lay in his hand quietly never attempting to struggle or peck him. We decided to put him in a largish box in a quiet place, with some sunflower seeds, to see if he would rest and recover.

So many little birds that fly into windows just pick themselves up and fly off. Usually if they are so stunned and shocked they die. So we didn't expect this one to recover. I peeped at him twice during the evening. He was still alive but made no reaction. This morning I peeked, he was still alive and sitting there. A little later I decided I'd gently pick him up to see if he had any damaged wings or limbs but as I lifted the lid he reacted and fluttered. Time to release him. I took the box out to the Eucalyptus tree and out he flew and made his rapid escape. Job done.

2009 An Icy Christmas

Considering the amount of snow and ice we've encountered over the last two decades the last year of this decade,2009, has been exceptional. Two episodes of snow and cold icy conditions this year have broke the mould of a centimeter or two of snow that disappears the next day. Although it's not been anywhere near the wintry conditions I remember as a child. Back then we frequently struggled through snow deep enough to cover our wellies. Snow one to two feet deep was not considered an unusual occurrence. Skating on the fenland waterways and ponds happened every year at some point during the winter.

As we get older, snowy winters are not as welcome any more, pretty though they are. For seniors, any icy areas are to be avoided as any cost. Our increasingly unsteady gait over slippery ice brings worries of fractured hip or other bones. Not to mention cuts and bruises and the total embarrassment of a fall.

During this snowy interlude many of the small side roads and culdesac and pathments have been covered by ice sheets caused by compresses snow, melting a, little followed by overnight freezing. Holding the car steady and controlled in these conditions is a acquired skill that many younger driver haven't gained yet.

We had a fairly quite Christmas day, staying at home with D.J. as our only Christmas dinner guest this year. I cheated and cooked an already prepared three bird roast. I must admit though, as exotic as it sounds, none of us were overly impressed. Next year we'll stick with a traditional bird to roast.

The afternoon saw us driving over to Sean & Dawn's to see the Grand kids and Great Grand kids. DJ had suffered one of his usual sleepless nights and was sleeping by this time so we let him be and left him home.

A cold sunny Boxing Day saw us driving to Haconby, a small village North of Bourne in Lincolnshire to a family gathering at my Niece's home. Their home was toasty and welcoming with a newly installed log burning stove.

We had a festive fun day with the family. Bev and Barry are excellent hosts and the food and drinks flowed in abundant. Lately, in my senior years I have become a 'tea totaI' but having imbibed a fair quantity of Baileys last year while in Vancouver I just managed to keep the Bailey's on ice to just the one. Ever conscious of the increasing waistline!!!

Later in the afternoon the Twister mat was brought out. This is not a game for me or us oldies but the youngsters enjoyed and cheated at it. My long limbed brother in Law is usually an enthusiastic player but this year a rather delicate operation a couple of weeks before Christmas kept him firmly on the couch. The Wii was the next on the agenda Less energetic but mentally taxing was the Brain games, were, we were all well and truly trounced by the brainy 11 year old Lauren.

The increasingly rotund, pregnant, Bev decided to test out the reclining benefits of their new leather furniture. I think a rest was well and truly deserved as we all had a great day.

What Happened to November?

Well it's almost Christmas once more and whoops there's been no posts since October. No inspiration. No news. No time.

OK so whats been happening here.

Peterborough council has suspended Cathedral square's so called improvements until the New Year. Completion date keeps getting pushed further into the future. The 1960's Post Office block behind St Johns church has been demolished to make space for more 'beautification' of the City centre. There's now talk of an open grassed area in it's place.

The City's Christmas decorations are still dire. The same old tat has been erected as the previous two years. Pretty enough at night when the lights are on but real awful in daylight. The Queensgate Mall has also erected the same decorations as last year but at least they are pretty and cheerful.

I've got the usual ideas mental block over buying Christmas presents. I think after 66 years Christmas preparation gets just a tad tedious. Just too much preparation and expensive for a couple of days. How do these people get the energy to erect thousands of lights all over their house exterior? What does it do to their energy bills? Should we be doing this when Global Warming is such an issue? Is Global Warming a myth? Am I becoming a GOW (grumpy old woman)

Maybe I'm just getting slower finding the Christmas spirit. At least I've got all my Christmas cards made. Now I have to start addressing envelopes and post before the last posting date passes. Oh joy!