Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - T is for .....

T is for .....Thyroid

A - Z of Thyroid Symptoms (not exhaustive), Diagnostics, Treatments and emotions.

A ~ Achy Joints, Anaemia
B ~ Blood Pressure, Blood Tests, Biopsy
C ~ Coldness
D ~ Diabetes
E ~ Exhaustion, Endocrine System
F ~ Fatigue, Frustration
G ~ Goitre
H ~ Hair Loss
I ~ Ignorance, Iodine
J ~ Jubilation
K ~ Knowledge
L ~ Libido, Liothyroline
M ~ Motivation Loss
N ~ Numbness (back, fingers & toes)
O ~ Over sensitive to noise
P ~ Pain, Palpitations
Q ~ Quinine (for Cramps)
R ~ Reflux
S ~ Skin Problems, Sleeping Problems
T ~ Tiredness, Temperature, Thyroxine, Thyroid-UK
U ~ Uncontrolled, Ultrasound
V ~ Victory
W ~ Weight Loss & Weight Gain
X ~ X-Ray
Y ~ Yellowing of the Whites of Eyes
Z ~ Zealousness

Graphic from Wikipedia

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - W is for .....

W is for ......Wedding!

This post should have been written on Wednesday, but I delayed it to tie in with the obvious Royal Wedding, the Marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton. I watched the events on the television following the reports via Sky News. 

The pomp and ceremony really did make me proud of my heritage and, like many other former brides turned back the mental clock to my own wedding and chaos, planning and nerves that I experienced. Rather than post a photo of the happy Royal couple or one of us, I thought I would post this gift which we received and still hanging in my lounge.

A beautiful cross stitch given to us as a wedding present by my
friend Wendy in July 1994.

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - R is for .....

R is for.....Royalty

I guess there had to be a post about the Royal Family in the A-Z blog challenge. For the last few months there has been much speculation on the Royal Wedding and this last week the newspapers, radio and television were full of it.

When we purchased our house, a late Victorian villa, sounds grand, and called a villa because it is on three stories! I was keen to put back into the house some of the Victoriana of yesteryear. I spotted in an antique shop a lovely plate of Queen Victoria, made for her Jubilee in 1887. The plate now resides above the archway in our lounge. The plate was swifty followed by other bits and pieces of Royal memorabilia that complimented the collection.

Jug produced for the Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887

A small sample of the collection

The Matchmaker by Marita Conlon-McKenna

This was the gentle and realistic story of a mother, Maggie and her three unmarried daughters, Grace, Anna and Sarah.

Set in Dublin, it is the story of widow Maggie, who resides in her marital home alone, with her unmarried daughter Sarah and Grand daughter Evie who live in the basement. Maggie's a wonderful homely character, who desires to see her daughters married and settled down with men they love. Maggie's matchmaking skills are displayed in a subtle way and overspill into the lives of fellow neighbours, her cleaner and a lodger, who lives in a converted mews at the end of the garden.

As you would expect the daughters do eventually meet men they fall in love with, but the journey they each take is what makes this book enjoyable.

Now & Then by Jacqueline Sheehan

The cover and the first pages of the book indicates a nice, cozy read focusing on a family and the paths their lives take. I was pleasantly surprised.

Anna is a lawyer who has ditched her job as a tries to reinvent herself following a divorce. A trip to Ireland with a friend she leaves a stately home and is given a package by a stranger. Upon arriving at home, back in the States, she learns from her mother that her brother has had a serious accident on the way to get his son from police custody.

Anna heads to the hospital and sees her brother and then seeks to understand the events surrounding his accident. She then leaves to travel to the detention centre to retrieve her nephew. Once home, Anna and her nephew Joseph head off to bed to recover from a tough day or so. During the night, Anna wakes up to find Joseph going through her suitcase, still packed from her trip to Ireland. As Anna challenges Joseph, something happens and upon wakening the two find themselves plunged back into 1844 Ireland......

Weekend Cooking - Victory in Europe July 1945

Amongst my Grandmother's belongs was this little cookbook in making cakes and icing. I don't know if she ever used the recipes or if she had numbers 1-65.

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - X is for .....

X is for......oXo

How I struggled and struggled to think of a suitable candidate for X, but alas it was not to be, so I thought I would think, outside of the box and focus on something that had meaning for me, rather than looking through the dictionary!

OXO tin circa late 1940s.

My Grandmother was a great one for putting money by in a series of money boxes. She had a traditional money box divided into sections for gas, electric,rent, water rates and rates. Remember rates, in the dates before Council Tax? She also had a series of Bourneville Chocolate tins and a trusty oXo tin. All stored in the bottom of her wardrobe. I have no idea what she put money aside for in the Bourneville tins, but the oXo tin held the money she put aside for her hair to be done.

These were the days before debit cards and chip and pin, and the days before banks were institutions that could be challenged and held to account. These were the days when you were paid weekly in a small brown envelope and pensions from the Government paid via attending the post office and having your book stamped!

How things have changed, in what is a relatively short space of time.

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - V is for .....

V is for .....Voting

About a fortnight ago this plopped through my letterbox

And then yesterday the postal voting forms arrived.

As I sat and marked my X against those that I was supporting I pondered on the hardships and achievements of women of previous generations. Those that had fought passionately and in some cases gave their lives for a cause that they believed in, that women of adulthood and all social standings should have the vote and that their belief should not be silenced. That women were equal to men.

The generation of my nieces and nephew have been born into a world where voting is a simply a matter of course. This was not always the case and we should not forget that.

Carnival Of Genealogy 105:Favorite Current Technology

I resisted the urge to upgrade to an iphone and made a huge generalisation that they were completely unnecessary. Then about a year ago hubby was looking to upgrade and we were shown the versatility of an iphone and I knew I HAD to have one!

The arrival of an iphone or two in this household has made the internet come alive further with the never ending opportunity to tap into the virtual world. The internet has made lots of things accessible to us, particularly in the genealogical world, but being able to access that on the go is wonderful. With the touch of a button or two I can check emails, log in to Facebook, Twitter, read a book, take a photo, and perhaps load to Flickr, check my bank balance, listen to music, the list is endless. The never ending list of applications makes the world of an iphone a very adventurous place.

Have I gone a step further and purchased an iPad? No, but that is driven around the cost issue. I have a good laptop, so why do I want one? Well, I could tap into all the things that I use my phone for and have the bigger screen, but is that enough? Perhaps readers can give me some pointers and put me out of my misery of making a decision. 

I have looked at the cheaper options of other tablets, and in some cases they are almost as expensive as the iPad. The memory that each has seems to be small than the pad, but the alternatives have the facility for USB connection which is very handy. Equally, we have online storage facilities such as Dropbox which does make accessing files in a multitude of places easier. 

In some ways, the whole concept of the internet is remarkable. We live in an online world. Many of us have access to Facebook and Twitter where we can catch up with old friends via Facebook and make new ones via Twitter. We, in the genealogical world use, to all intent and purposes, a new facility in order to research an historical way of life. 

What would our Grandparents, Great Grandparents think? Would they be as in awe of what we have achieved as a race as I am? Just a 157 years ago an ancestor or mine boarded a boat for Australia as a free settler. They were at sea for around 3 months, lived in harsh conditions and would have knowingly boarded that vessel understanding that they were leaving behind everything and everyone they knew for something that was completely unknown. That was just 157 years ago, almost the blink of an eye. 

Further consideration. Here I am debating whether or not to purchase an iPad, my ancestors would have debated how they could pay the next lot of rent, afford the new infant that was on the way and where the next meal was coming from.

Haven't times change?

Trans Tasman ANZAC Blog Challenge

In keeping with Australia Day inspired by Twigs-of -Yore and the subsequent post for Waitangi Day.

We now have the Trans Tasman ANZAC Blog Challenge. Below are the details from the Auckland Reseach Centre Facebook page

"To participate:
*Write a blog post about an Australian or New Zealander serviceman or woman’s family, and the impact war had on their family history.
*Publish your post by 25 April 2011
*Post a comment with the URL on the Auckland Research Centre’s Facebook page under discussion or on the relevant post on the Twigs of Yore blog."

This is the document that relates to Edward Ellis, born in Geelong Victoria Australia the son of Frederick Ellis (1845 - 1914) and Sarah Ann Newton (1851 - 1923) on 3rd March 1882 and was one of 14 children.  All of Edward's siblings were born in Australia, but his father, Frederick had been born in Elstead Surrey in 1846 and was 8 years old when his parents migrated as free settlers to Geelong in 1854 on board the James Baines.

As I typed the above I realised that I really didn't know too much about Edward and my family history software had not been updated, so I pulled out the Ellis folder. Back in 1991, I had located various bits of information about Edward and here are those details:

• Born at Mount Duneed 3rd March 1882 and Baptised at the Wesleyan Church in Geelong 6 June 1884.
• A tuber player in Geelong Harbour Trust Band circa 1913.
• He enlisted at Cootamundra, New South Wales on 20th July 1916 and left Australia on 9th November 1916 on board The Benalla. 
• He disembarked in Devonport (Plymouth Devon England) on 9th January 1917.
• He proceeded to France on 30th September 1917 and was wounded in action (left leg) at Rouelles in August 1918. 
• He was discharged in England in January 1919 and returned to Australia on board The Karoa.

Having read the above in the file some obvious questions sprang to mind:

Questions:

1. What was the significance of the Wesleyan Church? Why not a C of E Church?
2. What further details could I establish about the Harbour Trust Band
3. Why did he enlist in Cootamundra? It is some distance from Geelong, but is mainly farming territory.  Ironically I have been to both Geelong and Cootamundra!
4. He was disembarked in Devonport, only about an hour from here in the car. What other records exist in the UK?
5. Locate Rouelles in France
6. Did he know of his English heritage and roots and did he venture to Surrey to meet any of the family?
7. Where did his life take him upon his return to Australia? 

Weekend Cooking - Easter Weekend

I worked right up to Easter, well Maundy Thursday and finished late in the evening. I had planned the weekend cooking, Sunday lunch and the weather forecast predicted good and sunny weather, which meant BBQ! - I had plenty of appropriate food in the freezer and salad stuffs.

We went to Paignton yesterday afternoon, a seaside town set along the Torquay Riviera and I knew that the town was still home to a green grocer. We have the same small West Country chain green grocer in my town too, and whilst it is a small chain, all the food is grown in the South West. Very often the tickets will even tell you which market garden or farm the produce has come from.

As I stood and selected three whopper potatoes suitable for baking in the oven, I could smell the fragrance of tomatoes. Proper tomatoes, the smell that takes me back to my childhood and memories of green plants with little yellow flowers which eventually turn into fresh, home grown tomatoes. I had to buy some, even though I have sufficient in the fridge.

As I made my way to the till to pay for potatoes and tomatoes, Stuart remarked that he loved Rhubarb. I don't recall ever making a Rhubarb crumble. So, we grabbed some cooking apples and planned to have a crumble for desert on Sunday. I had planned a trifle, but that can wait for next weekend which is also a bank holiday weekend here in the UK.

Mum is here for weekend and I was cast back to the days of 35 years or so ago when I sat as a little girl and watched my Grandmother cut and skin the rhubarb and place in a pan with apple, sugar and water.

Just awaiting to go on the cooker.

Nicely cooked and awaiting the crumble mix.
The small one is for hubby to have at work!

Cooked and ready to serve with either custard or ice cream.

There we go, dessert organised for later. For today we are having Roast Lamb with rosemary roasted in the oven. Roast potatoes cooked in goose fat. The suede and carrots will be steamed. The suede will be mashed with butter and pepper. Yorkshire pudding I know traditionally is served with beef, but hey ho, we like it and some stuffing, mixed with hot water and butter. The gravy will be made with the lamb stock and a splash of port.

Silent Sunday - Wisteria

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Wk 17 - Pets

Week 17. Pets. Did you have any pets as a child? If so, what types and what were their names. Do you have pets now? Describe them as well. If you did not have pets, you can discuss those of neighbors or other family members.

Challenge starts Saturday 23rd April until Friday 29th April 2011.

By chance I have been taking part in the A-Z April Challenge, whereby each day of the month of April (excluding Sundays) those contributing to the challenge posted to their blog in response to the letter of the alphabet. I featured the pets of this household within this challenge and links to the relevant posts are below:

• A is for Alfie (2007 - )
• L is for Lily - (1993 - 2008)
• M is for Monty (1997 - 2008)

Book Blogger Hop - Books by the same author

From the Crazy-For-Books web page "the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book blogger and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book blogger to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun! This is a weekly event! And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added!"

There are a few rules!

1. Enter your blog address at the linky list on the Crazy-For-Books website

2. Post about the hop on your blog & answer the question on the Crazy-For-Books website

3. Visit other blogs in the linky list

This weeks question is:

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

Absolutely! - I am slightly obsessive about this and will often want to read a series and will locate or buy the first two or three in the series before starting to read. There is nothing more irritating that getting to the end of a book, and not having the next in the series to start. It is rather like missing an old friend.

Even if the book is not part of a series, I still locate others by the same author.

That Christmas Feeling by Catherine Palmer & Gail Gaymer Martin

This is a novella containing two stories:

Christmas in my Heart by Catherine Palmer

By chance this also has a Christian slant to the book, and whilst I don't usually focus on this genre these books had appealing covers at the library!

Returning to her home town Claire Ross is getting over a failed relationship. She takes the job at the local school and visits her eccentric and frail Aunt, who does not take kindly to visitors. At her Aunts she  meets the police chief, Rob West and a whole pile of teenage emotions come flooding back. 

The story is more than a rekindled high school romance. The Aunt, Flossie is effectively in a time warp. She doesn't throw away her rubbish, she collects feral cats and has shut herself off from family, friends and the community.

The Community rally round to help clean up the home that belongs to Flossie and before long, after some resentment, Flossie reveals to Claire that she was once married to a young Austrian man, who died 50 years earlier.....

Christmas Moon by Gail Gaymer Martin

Another gentle festive story. This is the story of Rose, who is employed as a nanny by widower Paul to look after his two children. In some sense there is the tradition widower and nanny fall in love and live happily ever after story. There is again a religious theme to this book, which is a little too much for my personal taste, but nonetheless, the storyline is good and kept me reading.

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - O is for .....

O is for...... Originality

One of the messages that I grew up with was, be yourself. As a teenager I was never one to run with the crowd. I enjoyed being me and am comfortable with who I am and what I have achieved. I guess there is a blessing in that.

This blog is a reflection of me, - hence the title Ramblings of a fisherman's wife and is a sounding board, a method by which I can ramble into the ether and comment on my genealogy and books. There are the odd mentions to my day job, but only the odd passing mention.

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - N is for .....

N is for.....Networking!

This is a bit of a buzz word. We probably all do it in a professional sense when we attend training events and conferences. The last company I worked for was VERY into buzz words and acronyms. The current company is too, but in a different way, a much more genteel way, and I guess the temperament of the last company was one of the reasons I left.

In an online sense we also network. Perhaps it is less obvious and more around enjoyment than expectation from any employer or profession.

Here are a few that I take part in:

• Taking part in a Blog hop
• Blog challenges such as the A-Z April Challenge
• Facebook we can track individuals that we know and those individuals and organisations that have fan pages 
• Twitter -  is a personal favourite

There are others, Linkedin, Google Buzz and Delicious and I personally have little experience of them, but perhaps they are your favourites.

How do you network?

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - M is for .....

M is for.....Monty

In keeping with the current pet theme. Here is our beloved Monty.

Monty 1997 - 2008.
This photo was taken in June 2004 when Monty was enjoying the sun!

Monty was a really beautiful dog - much like Alfie in some ways, and I guess that is part of the temperament of the breed - Border Terrier and partly how we treat our pets - they are really part of the family.

We had had Monty from a puppy when he selected us at the home of the breeder. He came and sat between Stuart's legs whilst he was crouched down stroking another of the same litter. We knew then he was the one! He had his claws painted with nail polish so we could find him again when he was ready to leave his mum!

Monty developed epilepsy and when he was about 7 years old. We awoke one Sunday morning to him having a fit and called the vet. He was then stabilised on medication and remained on the whole fit free, but every now and again would have one. 

Then at the end of August 2008 Monty had a fit and the vet was called. No amount of his medication would help. He was given a general anaesthetic as very often when dog's come round they are fit free. We bought him home and sat round the clock with him until Monday morning. We thought we had mastered it, he had been wrapped in a blanket in the lounge with us for more than 12 hours and we were taking him back to the vets with the intention of having a scan to determine what the next steps were. Then Monty had another fit. The vet repeated the process of another general anaesthetic, but this time it was not successful.

We only had one option open to us for the sake of Monty and sat within until the very end. It was tragic, both of our beloved pets gone within the space of 6 weeks. The two smallest individuals in the household and yet they left the biggest gap.

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - Q is for .....

 

Q is for.....Quilt

When I was a child at school, my Mum worked for a fabric and clothing company in Guildford in the packing department. She was allowed to buy the remnants of the fabrics and often did and stored them. Some thirty years on she still has some of those fabric swatches and has used them to make a quilt or two. 

I still have one that she made for me as a child, Made for a single bed, occassionally we have it on our double just for a snuggle quilt. I admire such talent and patience. The following are three quilts Mum is currently working on. 

What surprised me is that, the two quilt pictures below are for different quilts. Fabric selected at random, yet the similarities of the design.

Sunday Salon - March and into April....

I have not posted a Sunday Salon post for a few weeks - due to being in the middle of several tasks, which seem to have taken a lot of energy and time.

In the last few weeks I came across a fabulous post about Quilt coverings for cars; yes you are reading right. Have a look HERE.

I battled to get through Home, a personal life by Bill Bryson. I say battled not because I disliked the book, on the contrary, but because the library book had been reserved by another reader and I could not renew! Finish it I did and the review is on its way, and I purchased my own copy as I enjoyed it so much! I might even re-read as I hate reading against the clock.

I also received a e-book as part of the Library Thing Early Bird Reviewer Scheme and that review is also to follow. I have also received an email from an author to review her book and then on the tail of that one an ebook arrived from another author.

I submitted a rather small post to the Carnival of Genealogy 104 which was about cars. I have also been approached to have my blog used in a genealogy presentation, which is really flattering.

In between reviewing and writing I have read and reviewed South Riding by Winifred Holtby and a couple of library books by Kathleen Morgan. Both were Christian fiction which I would not normally read, but they caught my eye in the library and came home with me! Those reviews are HERE and HERE

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - L is for .....

L is for.....Lily

Lily 1995 - 2008

Lily was a little sweetheart. She was born in May 1995 at an address in South London, and was one of four kittens from the litter. She was bought as my first wedding anniversary present and the moment I saw her, I knew she was the kitty to come home with us. 

She had such beautiful markings and that followed through into her personality. She had lived with us for just about a week when we heard a kitty meow, that indicated that she was in pain. We rushed into the kitchen to see that she had burnt her nose on the washing machine door just as it was warming into a dry cycle! We rang the vets and booked her in as an emergency and I remember the receptionist asking if she was the cat with the burnt nose. 

We should have known then she would be playful, curious and a proper scamp! - Lily loved to explore and as she found out, through two broken legs!, despite not being an outdoor cat. She was always wanting to play, sleep, she loved the sun, being warm and cuddled.

Lily 1995 - 2008

In May 2008 we noticed a lump on her lower underside and took her to the vets. It was diagnosed that she had a tumour and it was an aggressive cancer. Together with the vet we decided to bring her home and make and continue to make a fuss of her until it was no longer possible.

We prepared ourselves that one day we would need to make a decision as to Lily's health. She was bright and just as we decided that the time had come she came downstairs from her favourite landing; at the top of the house where she could bath in the sun that came into the landing from the window and asked, in her special way for the lounge heater to go on. It was the early part of summer, but we put the heater on and opened the door! We enjoyed a final weekend with her, she remained eating and drinking, but the decline was evident. We were with her until the last and even now the top landing is known as Lily's landing.

She really was a very special girl.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Richard Edge 1807

I sat reading the Western Morning News published yesterday 16th April and turned towards the back where there is always details of forthcoming auctions of collectibles. Every now and again something catches my eye. Yesterday's edition was no exception.

This is from the forthcoming auction of Bearnes Hampton  & Littlewood of Exeter scheduled for Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 20th April 2011. (I am not connected to either the seller of the item or the auctioneers)

Described as West Country Documentary Pottery Flagon with an expected auction price of £200-£400.

This is an item of someones family. Sadly about to be sold to the highest bidder. These types of items are usually engraved to commemorate an event, this is probably a birth as a marriage would normally show details of the bride.

The details are of Richard Edge and the date May (12) 1807. 

A very quick search revealed a few entries for Richard Edge, but none in the West Country, but, upon thinking about it, it could well be a simple case of the pottery alone is from the West Country and not the recorded event. It was not uncommon for existing pieces of china and pottery to have the engraving added at a later date.

Blogging A-Z - April Challenge - K is for .....

K is for.....Kenya

A country that will always hold a special place in our hearts. Planning a wedding should be a wonderful event, all the hype and excitement leading the finale; the big day. For one reason and another, and for some reasons I won't go into, we had lots of interference and what should have been a great time became one of huge frustration and agitation.

We therefore elected to get married overseas and to have our marriage blessed when we returned. Our wedding venue was Kenya, and our special occasion occurred in a beautiful garden, underneath a green leaf gazebo with the sounds of a Kenyan choir singing in Swahili. It was a truly magical day and memories of it we treasure.

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Wk 15 - Sports

Week 15. Sports. Did you have a favorite sports team as a child? If so, which one and why. Did your parents follow the same teams? Do you still support the same teams?

This challenge runs from Saturday, April 9, 2011 through Friday, April 15, 2011.

I have never been particularly sporty, although I loved playing hockey and played netball. I could never remember where I was allowed to run to etc with netball, so was always centre! I enjoyed Badminton and took that up when I stopped playing hockey.

As to watching sport. I am rather fond of tennis, although am not so fanatical that I would take the fortnight of Wimbledon off from work to watch the sport! 

My grandfather played Cricket with my Uncle Ted in the rural village of Shackleford, I guess sometime in the 1930s. When my Uncle passed away in the mid 1980s he had been still playing cricket up until he was 77 years of age! My Grandfather and his brothers used to have a bet on the horses - although I am not sure how they did on the odds!

Ironically, it was the Grand National last Saturday and Mum and I always have a small bet - 50p each way in memory of my Grandfather. We do the bet online as I would hate to go into a betting shop and Stuart was working, otherwise that would have been his job! Mum said last week that my Grandfather would study the odds for the horses before making his decision, whereas, am I sure that he would have disapproved, we selected the horses by their name! We did have a win of £11.00 which I am sure he would have approved of!

Weekend Cooking - Pie in the Sky

Readers here in the UK may remember a crime series called Pie in the Sky which was broadcast on the BBC during 1994 - 1997. The series is currently doing a rerun on the ITV 3 channels each weekday evening at 7.45pm.

The series centres around Henry Crabbe, a police detective, Margaret Crabbe wife of Henry who is an accountant. Together they also run a restaurant called Pie in the Sky. 

Henry is the long suffering underling to Freddy Fisher who is fairly senior in the police and who likes to get Henry to do his donkey work for him. When things go well, Fisher takes the credit and when no so well, Henry gets lots of hassle. Henry is old school and is waiting to start retirement, and is simply longing to spend every hour of the day in his wonderful restaurant.

More details about the series are HERE and HERE. This is simple entertainment and is just what the chef ordered!

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Wk 14 - Spring

Week #14 – Spring

Week 14. Spring. What was spring like where and when you grew up? Describe not only the climate, but how the season influenced your activities, food choices, etc.                             This challenge runs from Saturday, April 2, 2011 through Friday, April 8, 2011.

Spring is probably my favourite season. Watching the world of nature awaken from Winter and preparing to enjoy the Summer. As a child, I think that Springs were fairly mild, although I do recall one Spring, around Easter time that we had a rather heavy snow fall in the South East, which I think was fairly uncharacteristic.

Of late, we have had some really beautiful sunny days. We have adjusted our clocks to make the most of the light - loosing an hour's sleep! As the weather gets warmer, sunnier and brighter, we tend to eat lots of salads and less of the heavier, winter type meals.

I really like nothing more than to open the windows and doors onto a bright sunny day and chase away the cobwebs of winter.

All Good Gifts by Kathleen Morgan

By complete coincidence, on a separate trip to the library I picked up this book. When I got home I realised that it was the same author as the last book I read - One Perfect Gift.

Again, written in a gentle style with a Christian slant to it. This is a lovely story, utilising the same location as the last book, with characters of several generations later.

Devra is a Doctor in New York City and suddenly received word that her beloved father has passed away. She heads home to familiar territory to the ranch her father owned, his ranch hand, whom she once had a crush on and the married housekeeper.

After the funeral, the will of her father is read and there are a few surprises. Devra will only inherit the family ranch if she returns to live in it, otherwise, the ranch hand will inherit. The is as you can expect anger and resentment at her late father's instruction, and an ending that is fairly typical and not unexpected.  A lovely gentle read.

Creative Blog Award

I was awarded the Creative Blog Award by Deirdra of The Storybook World for my contribution to the April A-Z blogging Challenge.

Thank you for the nomination.