back to blogger I have gone!! www.justkeepitsimplejudy.blogspot.com - my pictures keep disappearing my posts here and I found it difficult to place comments on my friends blogs on blogger.

I have been busy completing a Vetting Clearance Questionnaire for the Met Police as the 1st stage of becoming a Police Chaplain.  I was doing fine until I got to convictions and offences!! the introduction to the section is enough to put the fear of God into you and knowing full well that, other than a speeding fine 5 yrs ago, I have nothing to declare I still completed the section in fear and trepidation and feeling extremely guilty wondering if there were any convictions against me that I am unaware of.

 

Well the form is completed and I shall post it off today; however, if you don't hear from me again and this site mysteriously disappears then I could be rotting away in a prison cell.

Well after a fabulous two weeks in Spain with Frank and Karen I'm now back home getting ready for a week of work THEN off again for a fortnight in Wales.  Nigel & I had already booked our Wales holiday at the beginning of the year then Karen invited us to travel to Spain with them and the only free fortnight for both sets of couples was in July - hense the reason why our holidays are so close together.

 

We had a wonderful time, the weather was hot and got hotter as time went on but that didn't stop us from venturing out and visiting places.  We enjoyed a Fiesta, two boat trips, train rides, bus tour, visits to the beach, coffee shops, resturants, community swimming pool, nature reserve, walks in the evening, coach trip!! the rest of the time we relaxed by watching DVD's in an air-conditioned lounge, reading books and gossiping 

 

Now to organize my working week then pack for Wales.

1. It's my Dad's 71st birthday today -  Happy Birthday Dad.  What's even more exciting is that he received my card and cheque without the envelope being tampered with!!

 

2. Nigel and I are off to Spain tomorrow with Karen and Frank for two weeks.  Karen and I 1st met when were 11.

 

3. One of my residents this evening gave me a photo that her daughter had taken at a flower festival within a church and, even though she has never met me personally, printed a copy of for me because she thought I would like it.  I was extremely touched.

 

4. I now need to sign off and complete the application for the approval for a dissertation and email it off before I go on holiday.

 

Good night and see you again in two weeks time.

I'm in typing this blog on my laptop situated in the little bedroom because the refurbished downstairs shower (completed December 08) has flooded a few times during this period of heavy rain - resulting in not only the shower, shower room being flooded but the rain water has also overflowed into the office.  As you can imagine the carpet in the office now stinks like smelly sweaty socks and even having all the windows open, sprinkling shake n' vac on the carpet, spraying air freshner  - none has disguised or removed the smell So I now find myself upstairs until the situation can be rectified.

 

BUT not one for allowing circumstances to 'get me down',  I look on the brighter side and recognize that the rain is certainly beneficial to the garden and here is is a photo of my hibcus plant just coming into bloom.  My parents bought Nigel & I the plant for our 25th wedding anniversary in 2007 and each year the flowers are more radiant and this year is no exception.

 

 

Nigel & I attended the Remembrance Service for 7/7 at 9.00am which was held in the Peace & Memorial Gardens.  Two beautiful wreaths were laid by the Mayor of Barking & Dagenham and Chief Inspector of Police.  Nigel, as Chairman of the Faith Forum, organized words to be spoken by members of different faiths.

Today we had a combined service which was held within the ruins of Barking Abbey.  I've been living in Barking for 5 years now and this was the first time that I have visited Barking Abbey Ruins - I certainly didn't realize how large an area it covered and how impressive it is. 

 

There must have easily been 400 people who came along representing St. Margaret's, St. Patrick's and Christchurch - the sun shone, the worship band and choir sung, the children ran up and down the slopes and two police vans arrived with their lights flashing!!!  I can only assume that someone's must have called them thinking there was a rave taking place!! lol  Well they soon left us in peace and no-one, you will be glad to know, was arrested...

 

 

    

 

 

I am so pleased that I bought a dog basket - as you can see from the photos Karmen and Prince certainly do enjoy their afternoon naps.

Very pleased - my 1st sunflower has opened up and my sweetpeas are sprouting forth beautifully as well.  Nigel and I are enjoying the garden this year - last year our neighbours on both sides were renovating and adding extensions to their houses so there was cement, dust, noise and we were unable to enjoy the garden as we would have like too.  The year before that we had Taxi (police dog) and he dug everything up, trampled on all the flowers but he was fun to have so the price of a ruined garden was worth it. So we have planted sunflowers, sweetpeas, stock, garden herbs and strawberries and, so far, everything is growing well.

We always enjoy the programme which St. Margaret's Brownies so kindly perform for us at Thames View Lodge.  They sang a few songs and told the residents about the badges and activities that they have been doing since their last visit - then they gave each resident a busy lizzie in pots that they had hand painted.  To say that my delightful folk were 'gobsmacked' is an understatement 

 

The highlight of the evening for me is just watching the interaction between young and old.  The conversations, the laughs, the hugs - I heard the youngstest Brownie say to one of the residents 'So how old are you? and how long have you lived here?'

 

A truly delightful evening especially when the oldest Brownie member, who very proudly informed me she was ten!!, came with me and knocked on the door of a resident whose husband died a few months ago and she presented her with a busy lizzie.  Now the Brownie didn't know that the lady had recently been bereaved and I didn't tell her but the smile on both bearer and receiver of the gift was priceless.

 

 

We will be going on holiday soon to Spain with friends and, athough I don't mind leaving Karmen in Karl's capable hands for a week - two weeks is a different matter.  As I work mainly from home and I'm in and out all day long - Karmen has got used to having me around and the ability to pop in and out to garden as she pleases.  Karl is out all day at work and being a young man likes to go out in the evening and so Karmen is left on her own a lot of time.  I certainly cannot expect Karl to stay home from work nor be in every evening so I have resorted to searching out catteries, which is proving to be more difficult than I thought and more tiring than booking a holiday for myself!! but I think I have found the perfect one for her called 'Kitties Lodge'

 

This evening Nigel & I attended a Rotary event only to discover that it was also Duncan's 50th birthday.  Well Nigel was 50 two weeks ago so I though I would take a photo of them both.  Duncan's youngest daughter was also at the event and she couldn't believe that she was in the presence of TWO 50 year olds!! after all to a youngster anyone over the age of 20 is ancient

In the words of Victor Meldrew 'I don't believe it' - it's the 1st of July already!! where has the year gone? 

 

I have been meaning to join Windows Live Messenger for a long time now and HERE I am - I think the facination for me is trying something new and finding different ways to keep in touch with people.  I feel that Karen (friend from school days) must be getting rather fed up with me by now as I've dragged her from My Space to facebook to twitter and now here!! well I look at it from the perceptive that I am teaching her new IT skills.

 

Another day is ahead of me- Karl has just left for work, Nigel is at the office so that now gives me some 'me' time to get ready having done the housework etc.  Catch up with you all later....