Back to work

I finally went back to work after being off for many weeks with my back.  I have not recovered but I really thought I was better than I am.  It was a very difficult week, being in pain most of the time but I did get to Friday – just.  I have spent the weekend recovering, I am not looking forward to another week.  I have three prolapsed discs in my spine, the doctors say I will recover but 2 years later I am still suffering, it is really starting to affect all that I do, I have not been taking many photographs lately due to not wanting to go out.  My world is my sofa, laptop and TV when I am at home, I just have no energy to do anything else when I am in pain. I do have some strong painkillers to take but they make me sleepy and I cannot think straight when I take the full dose.

Anyway its not all doom and gloom, I did manage a holiday to North Wales this year, i was able to cope by making sure I rested every evening and taking extra painkillers.  I loved being in the mountains, this photo shows a typical view.

Our World Tuesday

My world has been centred around my home and garden for the past few weeks as I have been home from work with severe back pain again.

I saw these caterpillars on a branch of my hazel bush, they have since moved and I have been seeing them all over the garden.

To join in with Our World Tuesday and see many more parts of the world visit the Our World site here.

Car problems

I have just spent three weeks without a car, my car broke down on the way home from work (luckily I was visiting a friend and it was outside her house) I abandoned the car and my friend’s husband kindly brought me home.  The garage collected the car on the Monday and I was able to collect it yesterday.  The first two weeks the garage was trying to locate a part that was required, eventually they had to give up and get a new fuel pump.

It was very different being without a car, I had to catch the bus to work, which meant a mile walk to the bus stop, I chose not to walk along the main road and took paths through the estate and along a footpath next to the park, so quite a pleasant walk in the mornings. Not so much fun in the evenings when I was tired, some days that mile felt like five.

I discovered the bus timetable did not fit in with my working hours so I arrived five minutes late and had to leave five minutes early every day.  Luckily in all that time the weather was kind to me and although we did have lots of rain the mornings were fine.  I also managed to get lifts home some of the time.  Weekends I was not able to go anywhere but strangely it did not bother me.  I usually don’t like being trapped at home but I found I coped and my sister and son came and took me to various places.  I did my main shopping on line with Tesco buying less than I usually do as I live close to a Tesco and pop in every few days to get what I need.  I think maybe it is a better way for me to shop as I don’t buy so much.

It was not as bad catching the bus as I thought it would be, the bus drivers were friendly and I got to know someone who caught the bus at the same time.  If the times were better I would consider catching the bus more often but the main reason I won’t is the cost of the bus fare, to get the bus everyday would cost me double what I pay in petrol each week.  I am sure this is the reason people do use their cars and not public transport. Ironically the path I walked along was the old railway line in days gone by.

Dog surfing

This is an amazing dog -

My World

I have been taking part in the meme 'That's my World' since it started in October 2008.  Sadly Klaus who founded the meme has passed away and Wren, Sylvia and Sandie who assisted Klaus have decided not to continue as it was his meme and it doesn't seem right to continue without him - which I agree with.

So here is one last photo for My World:

I found these nestling in a churchyard last week.

Rest in peace, blogger friend.

Back again

Hello to all you bloggies, I am back blogging again.  I have bought a second hand laptop as I still have not got my main computer sorted.  It was not expensive and is not an all-singing. all-dancing one, but at least I am on line again.  I also have a brand new hub for the internet as BT finally decided it was time I had an update, so my original wired connector that I have had for many years has now gone to join the mountain of outdated technology that the world is rapidly accumulating.

I have managed to set up this laptop to download photos after lots of protesting from windows, but it will not download to my GPS (yes I have a new hobby Geocaching – I will post about that another day) which is annoying as I have to switch on the desktop computer and hope it doesn’t freeze before I download any co-ordinates.

As I cannot post without a photo here is a lovely geranium from my garden, the colour is so bright.

No blogging

Sorry - no blogging from me for a while - computer failure - hope it won't be too long. 

That’s My World

I went to a plant sale on Saturday and bought lots of bedding plants including petunias, asters, geranium and red, white and blue lobelia.  I could have bought more but I have to limit myself as I only have a small garden. I now have to plant them all out! 
That's My World! is hosted each week by the My World Team - Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.Visit the My World site here to join in the fun.

That’s my World

More flowers this week, these are in my garden – last week the flowers were from my sister’s garden. If they are a bit fuzzy its because the wind has not stopped blowing for about a week, it has been especially strong the past few days.

That's My World! is hosted each week by the My World Team - Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.Visit the My World site here to join in the fun.

That's my World

  My World this week is filled with sunshine and flowers!

 

That's My World! is hosted each week by the My World Team - Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia.Visit the My World site here to join in the fun.

ABC Wednesday

No post last week as I had no Internet! Very frustrating.

M is the letter this week and we are visiting Manchester at night.

The big wheel Arndale Centre

ABC Wednesday is hosted by Denise Nesbitt and the ABC team, do visit to see many more M posts.

My World

This tulip is about to bloom very soon!

That's My World! is hosted each week by the My World Team - Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia. Do visit the My World site here to join in the fun.

ABC Wednesday - K

First an apology for not visiting your blogs last week.  After I uploaded my post the Internet connection closed down and I had no Internet for several days. I hope it will be fine for this week.

This week for the letter K we visit Kingston Lacey in Dorset.  It is owned by the National Trust.

Information from Wikipedia:

Kingston Lacy is a country house and estate near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, now owned by the National Trust. From the 17th to the late 20th centuries it was the family seat of the Bankes family, who had previously resided nearby at Corfe Castle until its destruction in the English Civil War after its incumbent owners, Sir John Bankes and Dame Mary joined the side of Charles I. They owned some 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) of the surrounding Dorset countryside and coastline

As you can see the gardens are beautiful, there are several walks through the grounds to see different parts of the parkland.

The East side of the house

ABC Wednesday is hosted by Denise Nesbitt and the ABC team, do visit to see many more K posts.

ABC Wednesday - J

There are few places near where I live beginning with the letter J, but I remembered Jacob’s Ladder in Cheddar.

When I got to Cheddar the entrance to Jacob’s Ladder was closed so I put my camera through the fence to take this photo.

There are 274 steps to the top where the tower looks out across the Somerset countryside.  I have not climbed recently but remember climbing to the top with my children and seeing the beautiful views.

ABC Wednesday is hosted by Denise Nesbitt and the ABC team, do visit to see many more J posts.

ABC Wednesday - I

As it is St Patrick’s day on Thursday for ‘I’ we visit Ireland.

Market at Dublin

Dublin Bay

Malahide Castle

 

ABC Wednesday is hosted by Denise Nesbitt and the ABC team, do visit to see many more I posts.

That’s My World

I saw this beautiful forsythia last week a sure sign of spring.

That's My World! is hosted each week by the My World Team - Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Sylvia. Do visit the My World site here to join in the fun.

ABC Wednesday - H

For H we travel to Highbridge in Somerset. Highbridge is a few miles from Burnham-on-Sea where we visited for the  letter B.

Highbridge is a small market town situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels near the mouth of the River Brue.

There is archaeological evidence of occupation around the Highbridge area at least as far back as the Roman period. A bridged crossing over the River Brue at this location has existed since the 14th century and it has always been an important crossing on the route from Bristol to the South West. The town that sprung up around this crossing takes it name from the bridge. An older name for the local manor was "Huish" a contraction of the phrase "Huish jaxta altum pontem" (next to a high bridge).

St John’s Church

War Memorial

Highbridge has a train station with trains from Bristol and Exeter

Highbridge Community Hall

 

Highbridge was the birthplace of noted British spy Frank Foley, the "British Schindler", who saved thousands of Jews in World War II, who is honoured by a statue near the Community Hall in the town centre.  For more information on the bravery of Frank Foley visit here.

Details on the statue:

Information from Wikipedia 

ABC Wednesday is hosted by Denise Nesbitt and the ABC team, do visit to see many more H posts.

ABC Wednesday - G

This week we reach the letter G and off we go to Glastonbury. 

Glastonbury is famous for the Abbey which I visit frequently, it is a very peaceful place and in the summer there are abundant flowers.

Abbots Kitchen

For more information about the Abbey visit their website here.

Market Cross on market day

Museum

Town Hall

   The Tor

For more information about Glastonbury visit this website.

ABC Wednesday is hosted by Denise Nesbitt and the ABC team, do visit the dedicated site to see many more G posts.