Brindleboy123's Blog

Evening everyone, hope you are all well and I think, enjoying some sunshine over there. Early this evening we arrived back from a weekend in Gibraltar.  We left early Friday morning with our friends Gordon and Jane (I actually always call Gordon Leg End as his email address begins with Legend and it has just always stuck).  Anyway, Tony and Leg End shared the driving and we arrived there at about 3.30 after leaving home at 7. We had made a few stops along the way so in all, quite good going.   Leg End had felt a bit poorly and at one point I was worried that he wouldn’t be able to make the journey, but there was some spirit in the old dog and he pulled through!  (I think it was car sickness actually and the pills did the job).

We had heard some real horror stories about Gibraltar and to be honest I wasn’t expecting too much but was really pleasantly surprised. When you get to the border, they check your passports and luckily enough there weren’t any queues.  We did have to wait though for a plane to cross the runway before we were aloud to cross over (you actually drive over the runway which is a wee bit scarey!). We obviously looked innocent enough, either that or the Spanish really aren’t that bothered who goes over to Gibraltar anyway!. When we were waiting for the plane to take off, we were surrounded by mopeds which didn’t bode well but soon as we got the green light, they were off…all shapes, sizes and ages!  Some of the old chaps on those mopeds didn’t look like they could stand up let alone ride a moped so good on ’em!

Our hotel was in the centre of the town and the streets were very narrow. Leg End was driving at this point and I could see Tony physically breathing in as we turned around the corners!! Once Flo (our car named after Miss Daisey who was Doreen Florence!!) was parked, she never moved again until it was time to come home. Lovely room and as it was a 4 star it was really good value at £198 for 3 nights, including breakfast.  The dining room was on the top floor (8th) so we had a great view all over Gibraltar.

People had told us how dirty the place was but we didn’t find that to be the case. Yes, there were boxes outside some of the shops on the night time but as we were walking along the bin men were collecting them just the same as in any other town and in the morning it looked spotless again.  All the shops were there that you lot all take for granted…M & S, BHS, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis…..I was in heaven! Its the little things that make a girl happy you know and the fact that I was able to buy a couple of bras without feeling like I was asking to cover two large sandia melons, made me feel good!  After a quick walk around to see what was about, we all headed into the square and had a meal.  I had half a cow I think and was able to share this with a couple of wild cats.  We all slept like logs that night but I was up with the lark and ready to pay homage to Saint Michael (M&S)!!!

Saturday’s shopping morning was followed by a nice chill out afternoon around the pool.  All dressed up like proper little holidaymakers, we set off to another bar for a meal on the evening.  Leg End and Jane had a lovely curry and Tony and I ordered a BLT, thinking it would come with chips or salad.  WRONG!  It was cold toast with cold chicken and bacon in the middle.  We gave it back and the very nice waitress apologised and said she would take it out to the chef.  20 minutes or so later out came the BLT again (same one) with the nice young girl telling us as she proudly put it back on the table “the chef has warmed up the chicken and the bacon”!!! Ugh!  When I looked at the plate, that is exactly what he had done and I could imagine him playing around with the toast which was now not little triangles in neat little lines but triangles of bread all mixed up where he had been taking out the filling and replacing it!!!  Needless to say that went back and we left and went to the bar right opposite and had a lovely steak sandwich!

Sunday (27th)  was Tony’s birthday and he was 54 years young. We all decided to go up on to the “Rock” and took the cable car right to the top where we were met by Dana and her family (Apes).  They were lovely albeit mischievous.  One little one jumped down from the wall, ran past me and slapped my leg as she went!

It was really interesting talking to one of the volunteers there who gave us a brief intro to life in Gibraltar.  It seemed so strange to (in our mind) still be in Spain but for all intent and purpose we were in England! The man made it perfectly clear that the people consider themselves to be linked with the UK and certainly not with Spain. There is a very large Jewish community which I was a little surprised at, particularly as there are obviously several Arabs but it was wonderful to think that they could all live so close and yet without problem. Everything considered, a wonderful place to visit and I would thoroughly recommend it.

If I can, I will try to post some photos with this post but the photo could end up anywhere!

June 28th would have been Miss Daisey’s 87th Birthday.  Love and miss you very much Miss Daisey….and whilst we were away we thought of you often and all the things we just knew you would say about being in Gibraltar and all the Brandy you would have enjoyed drinking when we were there!  Thank you for all our lovely memories.

(Tuesday)…Picked up the dogs this morning.  Seems as though they have enjoyed their break from us too. Bobby apparently made himself right at home and slept on the ladies bed, Chunky decided he wasn’t going to eat unless he could have ham sandwiches! Needless to say he managed to keep this up for 3 out of 4 nights…what dog wouldn’t want ham rather than dried biscuits, come on!!! The wee wee kid wasnt put in her place as I had hoped, but made her presence known to one and all…she is a right little madam. Fiona really liked her though so thankfully she has agreed to have them all again when we go on holiday in October. It is nice to have them home now but at the same time, it was great to be able to stay in bed without our early morning call from Miss Bossy Boots!

We watched the football when we were away…..enough said? My theory is that in “normal” life, if you don’t perform at your job you are given a warning and if that continues, you are out…..so why haven’t half of them got the sack???? We’re watching Spain as I type and they have just scored……fireworks are being let off all around me! Big boy is the most scared of them all when it comes to fireworks…I have a 30kg Shar-pei trying to sit on my lap!

Right then folks, hope all is well your end, I’ll go off now and try to see what I can do with these photographs……don’t hold your breath!

Love to you all as always.  Bel x

Well this last week or so have been very mixed. June has certainly been quite a month for me emotionally. It was the year anniversary since Mum died, then two days later 3 years since Dad passed away. The 14th would have been my dear uncle Bill’s birthday too. I have always said to Tony, try not to remember the day that Sam died, remember the day he was born and all the wonderful times you spent together. The day he passed away is not a happy time.  Unfortunately, I was not really so good at putting my own advice into practice and missed them all terribly this week.

Have had problems all week with my hip, think I put something out of place when I went on Tony’s rowing machine….I’m not meant for this keep fit lark, I’m really not. Tony broke the stepping machine (thank god) but unfortunately managed to fix it too! We decided that we would buy a running machine so took ourselves off to Elche which is about 30 minutes from here and ordered one, all being well and assuming my Spanish is ok, we have it being delivered tomorrow. I think I should be ok on that when I’m back to being 100% anyway.  Need to do something otherwise this big “M” is going to get the better of me! (“M” being the menopause thingy!!!).

On Friday I flew back to the UK to spend the weekend with my daughter Samantha. She was not able to pick me up from the airport this time as she had to work and so I had quite a trip. Left home at around 7.30 and travelled to Alicante to fly with dear old Ryanair…..what is it with the stewards on that airline, are they taught to be rude?  Easyjet look like real professionals in comparison and that’s saying something.  The steward was really having a go at a woman and insisting that she put her cardigan above in the locker for take off.  The thing was, I noticed, but he didn’t that she was Spanish and couldn’t understand a word he was saying…including the bit where he said it was “not only hers, but for everyone’s safety”.  OK, but then I read in the Ryanair magazine on board that old Michael O’leary is seeking approval to convert so many of the seats on the plane to “vertical seats” on short haul flights.  This means that basically for, I presume, a cheaper fare, you can stand all the way.  Surely a flying passenger that is not fastened into a seat is going to be more dangerous than a short black cardigan????? Perhaps it’s me!

Arrived in Bristol and off the plane and onto a bus with yet another grumpy driver who told me to hurry up if I wanted to get on…(doing me best mate, you try carrying this suitcase with a wonky hip!) Sat in a seat where for some reason I got soaked from water, I presume coming from an air conditioning unit overhead.  Nice one, not the look I was going for but had a feeling I would be bothered even less by the end of the day.  This bus decided to take the scenic route all around Clifton before arriving in the Bus station where I went into the ticket office. I explained that I needed to get to the cemetery and then back on the bus to Weston super Mare and the man there told me which was the ticket to buy. £8 day rider….bargain!  Asked where I had been (the tan gives it away I guess) and told me he would look me up when he was next over…..excellent, Tony would love that!  He then said “have a nice time today…” before realising that I had said I was going to the cemetery and quickly apologised!!!!! Laughed at that one…..

Walked to the bank next to exchange some £2 coins that we had. I asked if they were still legal tender as they looked different.  Turned out they were special edition ones that were issued for the last world cup, or the one before that, and he reckoned they were still only worth £2 so I said…”give me the money” thinking that someone will probably make a few bob on them but I will get a nice t shirt in Primark!! Result!

Off to the next bus, loaded up with cakes for Samantha and Ben and flowers for Mum and Dad’s grave.  After 20 minutes off the bus and a hike up the hill to the cemetery. I was really pleased to see that my sister had been there and put some flowers on the grave. I had been worried that it would look a mess as I haven’t been there for a couple of months. It being Father’s Day on the Sunday I presume Helen had been there this week.  Just managed to get most of the flowers in and then hunted around for my Nan’s grave and put some there too.  Mum would never let me do that when she was alive and always insisted that they all went on Dad’s…… not a lot of love lost I don’t think between Mum and my Nan (Dad’s Mum), still make my own decisions now.

Next was a walk down to the bus stop after I had sat a while and had a little cry. Found the bus stop eventually as I would normally have gone to the one near Mum’s house but decided that I didn’t want to see it anymore now that it had been sold. It just brings back too many memories and is very sad. Everyone around me was dressed in football shirts, face paints etc it seemed, ready for the “big match”…..ooops wasn’t though was it!

Bus took me back to bus station and the final stretch of my journey.  Looked at my phone and had received 11 missed calls from Tony and Samantha..I think because I am under 5′ tall nobody seems to think I am able to get from a – b on my own.  Listen you lot, I am 52 years young and have had a good career, brought up two beautiful, intelligent girls, married 33 years (albeit that is spread between 2 husbands!) and am quite capable of getting on a bus, but thank you for caring.

I practically fell into Samantha’s car at the bus stop ….in the rain by the way with no cardigan because my dear daughter had told me how hot it was going to be this weekend. Bless them, they had bought a chinese so we just chilled out and I enjoyed every single mouth full.

We were up early on Saturday for our day out in Bath, by train.  The station is very close to her home so it was just a short walk to the station.  We had a really lovely day there. It is years since either of us had been there and there were a lot more shops than before although we weren’t really looking to shop til we dropped. Our first stop was M & S where I had promised myself to be measured for a new….bra! Samantha chickened out so off I went to the cubicle alone with “Nicky”.  It would appear that I am the opposite of anorexic and see myself as much smaller than I obviously am!  When Nicky brought in the bra’s me I wasn’t sure whether to put them on or use them as a safety parachute for the journey home!  At one point, poor Nicky couldn’t sort me out and big Olga had to be called in!  Olga was taking no messing..,,,,”lift your breasts in please Madam” and I dutifully obeyed!  Two hours later we left M & S laden down with carrier bags of underwear and a mental note to cut the labels out before I ever put them on the line….where they will definitely be folded in half twice!

We watched street entertainers and then went to buy make up…..a very nice lady helped us with all our make up disasters and even Samantha allowed her to put make up on which was very rare.  Again, more carrier bags but a feeling that if my baloobas were so big that I fell over at least when they turned me over my face would look pretty!

The highlight of the day was a visit to the Pump rooms for high tea!  Champagne, with salmon, cream cakes, scones, clotted cream…the works.  We were given a table in front of the pianist who was accompanied by a man playing a cello and one playing a violin.  It was wonderful.  Samantha and I were looking around and noticed a lady sat alone looking like she had been stood up. Her salmon was on the table for two and she had a face like a wet weekend.  Then her man came in from the far end with a very sheepish look on his face, when he got to her he went on one knee and proposed!!! He got up pretty quick though and was obviously very nervous but the look on her face showed that she must have said yes!!

Arrived home at Samantha’s at around 7 pm absolutely exhausted. Ben phoned to say that he had lost his fishing line and reel overboard….£300 worth!  He is adorable and I couldn’t wish for a better son in law but Ben could lose a black piece of paper in a white book!

Both Samantha and I feel asleep really quick on Saturday night and up with the lark again for the journey home today….another treat with Ryanair.  Probably one of the bumpiest rides I have ever had on any plane and I thought “this is it Bell…you’re going down”, put my fingers in my ears and closed my eyes (why?) but eventually things evened out and we landed to a very loud applause and a big sigh of relief from me,

Well, that was my week…I feel exhausted now just typing it! Its lovely to be home now…Tony was late meeting me because the silly fool didn’t check the board and I was in a different terminal to him….an hour later we met up!  The 3 musketeers met me and seemed pleased that I had come home too.  It is the wee wee kid’s first birthday today too…bless! I’m surprised she has made it this far…only joking Lola! Tomorrow I am off to the doctor at the hospital and once again hoping that she will discharge me from the physiotherapy department.  I feel I have been there longer now than some of the staff and that just can’t be right!

I’m over the moon that Lazydaisey is now a Nanny and wish baby Daniel and Katie all the very best. Let’s hope that people sat up and listened to everyone in Carers week last week too and well done Susie and all the others who went to No 10.  Not sure where I heard it but have to agree with the person who said that those on benefits receive reduced rates on entrance fees etc etc but why on earth do Carers not get the same….I suppose we have to keep raising our voices in the hope that one day someone will listen and help all those wonderful people out there, many who are often silent, that are caring for loved ones day after day after day.  God bless every single one of you.

Right, time to catch up on what has been happening in the world whilst I have been sat on planes, buses, and trains.

Take care everyone…..love as always, Bell x

Dad with me at a family "do"....a cuddle and a smile, a rare but treasured moment

Just wanted to write a little something today as it is now 3 years since my Dad passed away. I really don’t know where the time has gone.  It was such a terrible shock when he passed away as we had only been told on the Thursday that Dad had inoperable cancer. He had his first course of radiotherapy on the Friday in an attempt to reduce the tumour so he could walk and he died on the following Monday. Fortunately, I had been able to see him on the Saturday when he was really cheerful and chatty.  We managed to get Mum in the hospital to see him on the Sunday as she hadn’t been in for the 3 weeks he was there as it was so difficult  for her.  They spent a couple of hours chatting and laughing and there was no inclination that Dad would pass so soon.

We received a phone call on the Monday morning to say that dad had “taken a turn for the worse”…..that is a sentence that so many of us have been told I’m sure over the years about our loved ones and something that none of us want to hear.

The day Dad passed away Mum and I had a terrible row…crazy isn’t it.  We were all in the front room and I had spoken with Tony on the phone and he had told me that he would come straight over to the UK to be with me.  Mum had decided that it was Tony’s fault that I had not stayed longer on my last visit and despite the fact that they had spoken every night for hours on end for years, she didn’t want him to come.  I became hysterical and dear old Uncle Bill and Miss Daisey had to come up to try to calm things down.  I’ve never felt so lonely in my life as that day.  Tony did come over but went home on the next plane when it was obvious he was not welcome.

My sister decided to give me hell to add to it over the next week while we waited for the funeral.  She wanted to go on holiday in a few weeks after the funeral and I was unable to look after Mum at the time because of work (it was the holiday period and the only time that Tony and I were able to make any money cleaning for the year). I was punched and kicked which is ridiculous when you think I was 49 at the time and went home with bruises!  To add to it all, my sister then invited my ex husband to the funeral and asked him to carry Dad’s coffin into the church and ride in the car.  You can imagine not only how I felt, but also Tony who was at that time back in Spain.

I actually went to the cemetary on the day dad passed away and fell asleep on my Nan’s grave! Typically, no-one had noticed me and they had locked the gates so I actually had to climb over the wall!  The funny thing was nobody had even noticed I hadn’t been there for hours when I got home……!!

All seems like a lifetime away now and I am happy that now when I think of my Dad I only remember good things about him…..happy times are difficult to dig out from my childhood but I just remember the smile that he had, although not very often as he was, to be honest a grumpy old so and so!

Love and Miss You Dad very much.  God Bless, Michele X

PS  Don’t let Mum give you too much grief! XX

Evening all.  Looking back tonight and I can’t believe time has flown so quickly since I was on here last.  I guess if I had a really exciting life I would need to post more regularly, but I’m just little old me in sunny Spain!!

Life has been pretty busy this last week or so, I’m beginning to feel like some sort of Saga Rep! ! Sunday I caught myself walking around with my diary under my arm and thought this is crazy!  The thing is, the block where we live is mostly Spanish as I’ve said often before, so if anyone English comes in looking for a flat to rent they are always directed to me.  If Spanish come in, for some reason, they are still directed to me!  Over the weekend a lovely Spanish couple came in that have rented an apartment before and they really  are really nice so I took it upon myself to help them, or at least try.  They have a disabled daughter and I guess that was one of the reasons I was really anxious that they found somewhere suitable but sadly the owners were just getting a bit too greedy and instead of thinking something is better than nothing they are really holding out for the “big money” which is often paid in July and August.  This family just couldn’t stretch that far so sadly left with nowhere for their holiday.  Hopefully someone in another block will be able to help them.

Tony and I have always said that if we won the lottery we would love to build a hospice, we’ve even chosen a piece of land right on the sea front!  We decided it would be called Sam’s House after Tony’s son and it would be for children and filled to the brim with everything that they wanted.  What a wonderful gift it must be to win money like this so that you could give it to worthy causes and see the smiles on people’s faces.  One day Rodney, one day……

Judy and her gang have had a lovely time and are off home tomorrow lunchtime.  John hasn’t managed to get a tan apart from two red marks on his tummy where Lindsey obviously missed with the sun cream!  The other day we were trying to get him to come down to sit by the pool but he just said he was “very sorry, but I am otherwise engaged”!!! Chris has probably worked his way through a couple of notebooks writing street names down in alphabetical order but has been in the swimming pool a couple of times and loved every minute of it too.  Louise is now fully equipped with shorts of mine which I have never worn and also several pieces of jewellery. She only has to look at something I have on and I think to myself, ah well, I can buy another!!

John has convinced himself now after 22 years or so that Judy is his mother….fine in itself apart from the fact that he is about 10 years older than her!  He really does make me smile though, he was eating his tea and was determined to pick up the peas with the end of the fork, he is far to posh to “scoop” them up – won’t hear of it!  I’m going to miss them all when they go tomorrow.  Olive and Terry have enjoyed themselves too and had a photograph taken when Judy took them to the Benidorm Palace for the dinner show,  I thought it was lovely that they had got married just 4 years ago but when I was talking to Lindsey who works in the home where they live, she was saying that she didn’t think it was really their idea but that of the home owner who just happened to have a double room available that was proving difficult to fill and needed single rooms!  That said, they are obviously very happy so good luck to them, so long as no-one ever takes advantage then its ok by me.

For 2 weeks now Tony and I have been on a healthy eating campaign.  I didn’t particularly want to but if Tony loses weight then I have to as well – couldn’t bear the thought of him getting slimmer and me not!  We haven’t gone mad just cut out the lovely cakes and biscuits etc….doesn’t leave much though to be honest!  We have also introduced ourselves to Jimbo (not the one on the Carers Forum either!).  Jimbo is the garage where Tony has now fixed up a small trampoline rowing machine, stepping machine and any other instrument of pain that he can get his hands on!  I’m obviously nowhere near as fit as I once was and it certainly takes some time for certain parts of my body to come back down to their rightful place when I get on the trampoline but Im sure with practice I will get better……Its actually quite funny because Jimbo is in a group of garages which are underneath the building. We have to trick the lights to staying on all the time as they are on a switch cut out system. We have Mum’s record player down their and plenty of Bing Crosby LP’s (and a few CD’s too!) and we just have a bit of fun down there and then jump in the pool after.  You won’t recognise me in a few months time…..I guess you probably wouldn’t have anyway thought would you!!

Last week our friends dog, Bella, passed away.  She was absolutely adorable but had suffered with Cushons Disease all her life. She needed to have an operation which the vet gave the go ahead for and she actually pulled through but sadly her heart gave way a couple of days later.  Jane and Gordon were devestated as she was a very much loved little dog.  She had a midnight burial under the palm trees.

Tony and I decided that we would drive down to Gibraltar as it is only about 6 or so hours away.  Many people say its not that nice a place to visit but I guess it is something you have to “do”.  We’ve managed to get a good deal on the internet – 3 nights for the price of 2 and so we are going to go down at the end of the month.  Jane and Gordon are coming with us too so I am really looking forward to that.  We will get to go to places like Morrisons and M & S…its the simple things in life that make an old woman happy!!!

I’m off next weekend to see Samantha again just for the weekend.  Really looking forward to that and we’re hoping to be able to go to Bath as it really is only a short drive from Weston super Mare.  May even get to go into the Pump rooms – we often used to take the girls there when they were small.  They loved to drink their fresh orange juice and see the musicians playing on the grand piano….and of course, their is the cream tea! (diets don’t count when you are on holiday you know!)…

Well, today is June the 9th and even thought it seems so very hard to believe, it is a year ago today that my Mum finally lost her battle with life.  Strangely, I woke with a start in the early hours of the morning which was exactly the time Mum had passed away…spooky or possibly it had just  been playing on my mind..   Even though Mum and I probably had issues that will never be resolved now, I miss her terribly and still at times find it hard to comprehend that I no longer have my family with me.  No more phone calls….. I’d like to think that they were all together now up there, but I’m not sure Miss Daisey would agree as she was always frightened of my Mum!   There were two pieces of music that were played at Mum’s funeral: Lionel Ritchie “Goodbye” – the words were so appropriate and always seemed so personal for mum and myself and all the time we spent together in the last months of her life. The other was Goodnight Sweetheart which was Bing Crosby and also played at Dad’s funeral and the words to that one say it all.  Hope you don’t mind, but I will put them on here so I can link it through when I look back in the future.

I’m still trying to sort out a vase for Mum to have on Dad’s grave.  I don’t seem to be able to get a heart shaped one so will have to get an a granite vase, it would have been nice to have this for when I go back but looks like it will be next time now.

Found a very nice lady today (found? guess that should be met) who is going to look after the 3 musketeers when we go away.  She has 3 dogs too, one of which was an ex gun dog who apparently didn’t come up to scratch so the rotten so and so’s cut off his tail and shot him in the back leg before dumping him somewhere.  Thankfully they rescued little Barney and his is now a lovely lad…why are some people so cruel?

Well, I’ve probably bored you all enough for one night and I need to look up a few things on here….fat free, sugar free recipes, yummy yuk!

Love to you all from a fast dwindling away Bell XXXX