Goodbye, Berry!

This is my last picture of Berry who died yesterday. It was taken very recently. We had a lot of fun and joy with him, and some lovely photos!

Sunday Lunch

Every so often my church has an event called 'Guess Who's Coming to Lunch.' You can sign up to be either a host or a guest. If you are a host you say how many people you can cater for and whether you can accommodate children. Today I was a guest and these are the lovely people I shared my lunch with.

and this is the delicious meal...

The Christmas Cake.

This year CassCass was old enough to help.

It looks tasty already!

You've got to test the mixture haven't you!

There was enough left to put in the oven and we rounded off the afternoon with a tune on Grandpa's piano.

The Christmas Cake.

First of all a picnic lunch in the garden.

Lissa Lou at 5 1/2 yrs is able to do so much more this year.

Cream the butter and sugar. All going well until...

Uncle Alistair tries to add in some left over peas!

Mini Beasts in East London.

We put a variety of soil, leaves and sticks in the blue tray, then looked under every stone and pile of sticks in the garden. We only found 1 woodlouse, 1 slug, 3 small worms and 1 longer one, 1 empty snail shell and 1 live one. Later we found the spider who ate the green thing (shield insect?) and a butterfly.
There was one reddish centipede but it disappeared from the tray - could the slug be eating it? Oh and there was a ladybird but it flew away before CassCass could get it in the tray!

La maison des peupliers

Some views of Heather's new home.

A visit to the dentist.

Look what happened to LissaLou last week! She had to go to the dentist to get a filling. (The teacher in Guadeloupe gave the good children a sweetie every afternoon as they left school). The dentist notice a loose tooth and sought permission to remove it. With reminders of the tooth fairy, this was given.
The tooth fairy had no change to hand and left a 2 euro coin. Later it was changed and spent on.....nail varnish. And she's only 5!

Flowers for Grandma.

Last year - July 2008 - when we went to St Pancras to start the family off on their journey to Guadeloupe, we passed the flowers in the bottom photos at M&S in the station. Lissa Lou said 'Grandma , I want to buy a bunch of these flowers for you'. I choked back the tears and explained that since I was going on the train with them (as far as Paris), it wasn't really a very practical idea - although a very nice one.
Last night Lissa Lou rang my door bell and brought me this lovely bunch of flowers for which I thank her vey much!

Lissa Lou sings in French

Lissa learned this song at school, to sing to her mum on the French style Mother's Day in June.
My dear friend Marion filmed it for me.

The Return

These photos were chosen by LissaLou.

CassCass and Grandpa playing with the trains

JoJo and Grandpa doing the drum

Lissa Lou on the sofa

The Emirates Cup 2009

My first visit t0 the Emirates Stadium! Its just up the road from our house.

Look who else was there!

This was a belated birthday treat thanks to the men in my family.

The second match of the afternoon was between Arsenal and (Glasgow)Rangers. Arsenal won 3-0.

A Birthday Surprise!

Recently I was telling Malc and Evie that when my mother was expecting me she became very unwell with toxaemia. Because of this I was delivered three weeks earlier than the due date. So, really, my birthday should have been on the 26th July. What did they think of my celebrating another birthday on that day? Not a lot was the very quick answer - no more birthdays this year for me.
But wait what is this envelope which has been sticking to the front of the fridge for weeks, months even? A birthday surprise from my dear first born son!

Is there a little clue in the window of the envelope?
You'll have to watch this space!

Islington in Bloom

All these photos were taken from the same spot - at the bus stop oppositeSelbys,
Which is looking very sophisiticated with its new black marble frontage.

maybe the answer does lie in the soil!
http://www.ukgameshows.com/page/index.php?title=The_Answer_Lies_in_the_Soil
in case you didn't catch the radio programme!