May 26th

As from today I will not be updating my blog for a while.

Regular visitors will know that I have had big problems

with pain in my neck and arm.

Tomorrow I am going in to hospital for surgery,

hopefully this will remedy the situation and give me back my life.

I am sure I will be well looked after by the neurosurgeon

and nursing staff.

When I return home I will have family and friends

who will carry on that task for a few weeks.

I know that Sue and Julie have had practice at using their nursing

skills before but that was quite a few years ago!!!

********

May 26th

“If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to,

no one with which to share the beauty of the stars,

to laugh with, to touch,

what would be your purpose in life?

It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning.

This is harmony.

We must discover the joy of each other,

the joy of challenge, the joy of growth.”
~Mitsugi Saotome (b. 1937), Aikido instructor, author

With everything going on in my life at the moment having

friends and family close to me is very important.

********

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,

and the life of the candle will not be shortened.

Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
~ Buddha quote

May 25th

“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights.”
John R. Wooden (b. 1910) basketball coach, author

I always try to put others first in my life,

my family,

my friends,

and

also others.

At the moment though I am being put first by them.

Even Serena a total stranger but now a new friend,

has taken the time to write to me and encourage me

and give me advice on my 365 challenge.

She herself had been into hospital at

the begining of the year but managed to carry

on her 365 challenge.

My fellow 365'er's on UK Scrappers

are also being very supportive

and

last but not least.

all my fellow bloggers,

because it is there wonderful

comments that keep me coming back

here and posting!

********

“True Friend"
~Author: CindyLee

When you are hurting.
And all it seems to do is rain.

When your heart aches.

I won’t leave you in pain.

When your world is clouded over.

And you don’t know who to turn to.

When all you do is cry .

Come let me help you.

When all you troubles and fears

Seem to bring you tears.

And all you need is a shoulder

My shoulder I will lend and dry your tears

When your world is out of control.

And your life no longer a straight line.

And the strength you can not bare.

I will give you hope that it will be fine.

When you just want to share

Your hopes and dreams to be.

You can trust me.

For I am here for you cause

I am your true friend.

May 24th

“We need to give each other the space to grow,

to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity.

We need to give each other space so that we may both give

and receive such beautiful things as ideas,

openness, dignity,

joy, healing, and inclusion.”
~ Max De Pree (b.1924), author, former CEO of Herman Miller, Inc.

I am trying to use my space wisely today

but

can not seem to concentrate on anything at the moment.

Maybe I just need to find myself some space

to just relax and rest.

********

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.”
~ Reinhold Niebuhr

May 23rd

“Strive to be first: first to nod, first to smile, first to compliment, and first to forgive.”
Anonymous

My photo today is the amalgamation of the photography prompt and quote.
It is of the first rose of summer to flower in my garden,
which hopefully also shows the out of focus background!

*********

The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns;
the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose.
~ Kahlil Gibran

********

Photography prompt 4

Bokeh (from the Japanese boke, "blur") is a photographic term referring to the appearance of out-of-focus areas in an image produced by a camera lens.[1] Different lens bokeh produces different aesthetic qualities in out-of-focus backgrounds, which are often used to reduce distractions and emphasize the primary subject.
This week try focusing on achieving good "Bokeh", also known as "circles of confusion"

Extra photos practice:

One egg among many.

Different focul points.

May 22nd

“Open your heart - open it wide; someone is standing outside.”
- Mary Engelbreit; artist, entrepreneur

My best friend in the whole world came home
from his travels yesterday.

No way was I going to leave him standing outside!

********

Friendship is a priceless gift,
That cannot be bought or sold.
But its value is far greater than,
A mountain made of gold.

For gold is cold and lifeless,
It cannot see nor hear.
And in times of trouble,
It's powerless to cheer.

It has no ears to listen,
Nor a heart to understand.
It cannot give you comfort,
Or lend a helping hand.

So when you ask God for a gift
Be happy if he sends
Not diamonds pearls or riches
But the love of a true GREAT FRIEND!!
Author ~Kristen M Saccardi

May 21st

“I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.”
Pablo Casals (1876-1973), cellist, conductor

At the moment I have a lot of people caring for me.

I want them to know that

I care and love them all dearly.

********

“It's your unlimited power to care and to love

that can make the biggest difference in the quality of your life.”

~ Anthony Robbins

May 20th

“Once you choose hope, anything's possible.”
Christopher Reeve (1952-2004),actor, producer, director, and writer;

best known for his role as Superman.

Every year our village holds a best kept garden competition,
every front garden in the village is judged!

For the 11 years it has been held,

my front garden as always come

in the top 10 but never won.

So this year I am hoping that giving it some

extra food will help. lol

********

“Hope is the power that gives us the power to step out and try.”

May 19th

'Dream'To go to Australia was a childhood dream.

I never thought in a million years, that I would

ever get there.

However,

sometimes dreams do come true!
********

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

~ C.S. Lewis

May 18th

'One'

One could be one of many things.

One moment
One day.
One week.
One year.
Today I have changed my self portrait to shades of one Colour .

********

“One day at a time--this is enough.

Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone;

and do not be troubled about the future,

for it has not yet come.

Live in the present,

and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering.”

May 17th

'He[art]'

I could not do 'He [art]' very well because he (Colin) is away at the moment lol.

Nonetheless, I think if you are an arty person

you can bring your artistic tendencies to play

in most things you do in life,

even if it is just cooking breakfast!

********
“Once a woman has forgiven a man,

she must not reheat his sins for breakfast”
~Marlene Dietrich

May 16th

'Create'I love to capture moments and create memories.
This photo is a captured moment from
a really memorable holiday in
The Galapagos Islands.
It is a memory that will stay with me
forever.

*******

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,

the things you are,

the things you never want to lose. "

~From the television show 'The Wonder Years'.

May 15th

'Inspire'If your actions inspire others to dream more,

learn more, do more and become more,

you are a leader.”

~ John Quincy

********

I am putting my choice of quote under the photo today simply because this lady really did act as an inspiration to me during the early part of my life.
Rhoda was a leader, she was a very petite and unassuming lady, who if you saw in the street looked like any other little old lady and at the time I met her and she was loosing her sight.

I first met her when I moved to Cornwall with Colin and our daughter Sue who was 1 year old at the time. Rhoda was our new neighbour and we soon became good friends and remained so until she died. Her whole ethos on life was amazing, she was always there to talk to and give advice and athough sadly she never married, her fiancé was killed in the 2nd world War, she always knew what to say and when to say it.

I will always remember the day I told her I was pregnant with Julie, she amazed me by saying she already knew, then told me that she had noticed a change in the skin pigmentation around my nose and that told her I was pregnant, to this day I have never worked that one out!
Rhoda trained as a nurse and during the 2nd World War she served in France, Egypt, Palestine, Syria and West Africa as a nursing officer and afterwards joined the Colonial Service and was posted to Malaya.
Whilst in Malaya her job was to help pioneer the training of local girls into the nursing profession, in which work she received cooperation from the medical and nursing staff, many of whom had spent more than 4 years in Japanese P.O.W. camps. On leaving Malaya Rhoda had a scholarship given in her name by the Trained Nurses Association of Malaya, and a Hall in the School of nursing named in her honour. Also in 1957 she received the M.B.E. for ‘Distinguished Service in the Colonies’.
Not only was she a great friend to me but an incredible fund raiser for worthy causes always ready to help and give talks at short notice. Her selfless life will always be and remain an inspiration to me.
I can not take credit for todays photo, it was taken by Colin for Rhoda when she first released a book all about her amazing life. Sadly this is now out of print but I do have a much read and treasured copy.

May 14th

'Discover'Now that Colin and I are retired,

we love to travel,

However, to get the best from our trips,

we love to research and discover all we can about our destination

before we go.

This also adds to the excitement of the holiday.

********

"Your work is to discover your world

and

then with all your heart give yourself to it."

~ Buddda

May 13th

This week Anna is bringing back the one word prompts:

Play

With all the lovely weather we have been having,

what better way to cool off than playing with water.

This is a photo of Abbie'e best friend during a play session

on Sue's birthday.

Needless to say it was not just the children who got wet!!!!!

********

Play is the beginning of knowledge.

~George Dorsey

May 12th

"Just a perfect day

Drink sangria in the park

And then later,

when it gets dark,

we'll go home

Just a perfect day

Feed animals in the zoo

Then later a movie too,

and then home"
Lou Reed

I am so lucky that I have a family

that love and care for me like mine does.

Julie has been staying here for her

sister's birthday celebrations.

Like her sister she is always there when I need her.

She is busy with her life and work in London but

to have her here at home certainly

does help make perfect day!

********

The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.

~Richard Bach

May 11th

"There's nothing you can do that can't be done.

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.

Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game.

It's easy.

There's nothing you can make that can't be made.

No one you can save that can't be saved.

Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be in time.

It's easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,"
Beatles

Today is Sue's birthday.

This is Abbie giving her mum some love.

********

A daughter may outgrow your lap,

but

she will never outgrow your heart.

~Author Unknown

May 10th

"If I lay hereIf

I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told

Before we get too old

Show me a garden that's bursting into life"

Snow Patrol

Sometimes a garden can burst into life

too much!!!!!!

********

When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed

and not a valuable plant is to pull on it.

If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

~Author Unknown

May 9th

"Summertime, and the living is easy
One of these mornings

You're going to rise up singing

Then you'll spread your wings

And you'll take to the sky"
George Gershwin

It was a lovely summer's day today,

I did not rise up singing but I did have an

easy day with friends.

However, when I spread my arms and tried to fly

it just did not happen, well not today anyway.

Maybe next time!!!!

********

If God had really intended men to fly,

he'd make it easier to get to the airport.

~George Winters

May 8th

"Don't ever say you're on your way down,

God gave you style and gave you grace

And put a smile upon your face"
Cold Play

After a day of reflection yesterday,

today is going to be a day for smiling.

********

Smiling

Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner
and someone saw my grin
When he smiled I realized
I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile
then I realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine
could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
don't leave it undetected
Let's start an epidemic quick,
and get the world infected!
Everyone needs a smile!

********

May 7th

"Need a little time to wake up Need a little time to rest your mind You know you should so I guess you might as well What's the story morning glory? "
Oasis

Today I have tried to rest my mind but have found it difficult.

I saw my GP and he has now confirmed that

my only way to get pain relief is to have major surgery!

The next step is another appointment with the neurosurgeon.

Where apparently I will told all the things that might go wrong

and hopefully all the things that WILL go right.

That is going to be happening next Tuesday!

However, on the positive side at least I know now what

is happening and can start to plan for what I hope will be a

painfree future.

Just need to get the nasty bit out of the way first!

********

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right,

you'll probably never do much of anything.”
~Win Borden

May 6th

"You are the sunshine of my life

That's why I'll always be around,

You are the apple of my eye,

Forever you'll stay in my heart"
Stevie Wonder

I am so lucky that I have this young lady in my life.

She understands me so well.
She gives me cuddles when I need them.
She brings sunshine into my life on a rainy day.
She is always ready to have some fun with me.
She is almost as mad as I am!
I love her so much.

********

Grandmothers are just "antique" little girls.

~ Author Unknown

May 5th

"The time to laugh is when you don't have time for it."
Argus Poster

Some day's laughter does not come easy but I

always try to see the funny side of most situations.

********

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.

~Victor Hugo

May 4th

"Out of chaos comes the dance of balance."
Denise Kester

Although I try to keep a good balance in most areas

of my life, I find sometimes it is difficult to maintain

that balance.

Often things happen that are out of my control and then

I just have to adapt and move forward.

********

Obviously as a scientist Colin studied many of Einstein's theories!!!

********

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”

~Albert Einstein

May 3rd

"Love the moment, and the energy of that moment will spread beyond all boundaries."
Corita Kent

Just waking up this morning and seeing the sunshine really
does make me feel good.

Although I may not have a lot of energy myself at the moment

it does not stop me appreciating the energy of nature, especially

at this time of year.

The birds are nesting, the plants are growing and life moves on.

The only down side to this is the grass needs cutting in the

garden but then you can't have everything!!!!

********

Sometimes it seems like God is difficult to find and impossibly far away.

We get so caught up in our small daily duties and

irritations that they become the only things that we can focus on.

What we forget is that God's love and beauty are all around us,

every day, if only we would take the time to look up and see them.
~Matthias

May 2nd

"There's no time like the pleasant."
Oliver Herford

This certainly applies today because today is

Colin's birthday and we have had a pleasant

day. I like to think that we always make the most

of our days. Being pleasant and happy really

is a way to live, why be miserable and unhappy

when life has so much to offer.

********

“Your birthday is a special time to celebrate the gift of 'you' to the world.”

May 1st

“A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams”
anon

I have lived in many different houses

but can honestly say that once I have moved out and moved on

I have not missed the bricks and mortar of those houses.
It is the community and the friendships that I have made

whilst living in those houses I miss the most.
However, each time I have moved it has been with the people

I love and we always have and always will

build our dreams together!

********

Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you.”
Marsha Norman