The Mouse House

Well, it's back to work tomorrow, the final push up to the summer holidays and for me, this is the part of the school year I hate the most. It's hot, the kids are restless and are ready to move on, the staff are worn out, the not knowing about the next class you will teach, the not knowing if you will stay in the same year, will you work with someone you hate.....blahdy, blahdy, blaaaaaah! My list goes on!

I have spent all this week worrying about this last part of the school year. Silly eh! Stupid me forgot I had work to do and guess who remembered today....yep so guess who is in a panic over it? Yep moi! It's not too bad, it's for 3 annual reviews so I have to make sure that's done today!

This afternoon I am off out to visit my aunt and uncle. They are both in their 90's and not been well so I can't put it off. My aunt has promised me that she has made a cheese cake. Not any old cheese cake I might add either. She is Italian so this cake is made from a very old recipe that was given to her way back in Italy by her mother. She takes 2 days to make this cake as she makes the cheese/curd for it herself too. I can't wait to get my gnashers round this as it is to kill for.

Speak later xx

No, not that Boris but Boris the spider

He has just marched up the wall and along the ceiling and I am sitting here typing and watching......

I love beetroot...simple as that, I just love it!

I don't even mind getting those blood red fingers when peeling it and cutting it up as I know it's going to be worth it. I don't mind either when you visit the ladies and see that your wee has turned bright red...in fact, that amuses me. Must be something pretty good in the beetroot to do that eh!

So today I had a beetroot sandwich made with the most wonderful and fresh tiger bread from Tescos after my trip there this morning.

But...was it to be mayonaise or salad cream that went on the sarnie??

I had salad cream and oh my goodness it was pure bliss.

This really amused me today

Here's another of my quickie comment reply posts to you all!

Took the dog to the vets and saw a different vet...very handsome he was too Oh where was I? Oh yes, the dogs paw. The vet seems to think it might be some sort of wart thing and wants us to keep an eye on it for about 5 days and see how it goes. He could have given him yet more antibiotics but I said he has had 4 lots in about 3 months already and asked if he really needed them. The vet agreed about the amount of tablets so that is why we are just going to bath it and keep an eye.

It's not stopping him getting out and about up the park thankfully so we will keep an eye on it all!

Thanks for all your comments.

xx

It's 1.50am and what have I been up to?

Trying to cut the hair off one of the dogs feet and bathe it in salt water. The paw has been bleeding, over the sons bed linen, and is sore to the touch and I needed to see what was going on. I finally had to get hubby up to help me...he wasn't too pleased in a way but for the dog, he'll do anything.

So, one wet skirt and kitchen floor later I did manange to trim the hair and bathe the foot and get a good look. There is a very nasty "thing" on the side of one of the toe near one of his nails.

Guess who will be off to the vets first thing?

I feel like I have a season ticket with the vet at the moment

God it's been a loooong day today. Long in every sense of the word too. Long and boring, long and thirsty, long and hungry, long and bored, long and tired, long and....well you get the picture right? Yep, I've been bored rigid today.

Why??

I have no idea!! Might be because there was nothing that I wanted to do. Might be due to the fact everyone else was busy doing what they wanted to do. No one wanted to come to the British Museum with me. Why does no one ever want to go with me??!?! I really like to have someone to look at things with, you know to talk and discuss things with. So today I have not moved out the door, not even the garden door, not even been in the garden today.

I've been held captive by, well, I dunno who, but I've been bored rigid!

I started to read and got fed up with that as I couldn't concentrate due to sons mobile keep going off every 2 seconds. His tone for when a text arrives is a loud, sharp, shrill whistle and the shout "taxi" and of course everytime it goes off the dog jumps up and starts barking!

I started to draw. I love to draw but no, I was bored with that pretty soon too. Then I thought I'd catch up on my SKY+ recordings. So, I watched Celebrity Cash in the Attic with Maggie Philbin being the celebrity. Then it was a Celebrity come dine with me. I have never laughed so much. It was with Christopher Biggins, Edwina Curry and Julia Bradbury. Oh my god, Biggins is hysterical. Edwina got the hump on the first night that was a Julias. They all got rip roaring drunk and were dancing and screaming and singing....Edwina got the hump and went home! Hysterical! I enjoyed it so much I have just made hubby sit and watch it with me again.

Now, well, it's nearly time for bed.....

So what are we to do about these MP's getting away with all the money then?? Makes me cross in a big way really. There they are sitting in their lovely little homes, paid for by us, counting their pennies and working out how to get the moat cleaned up and paid for. I wish I had a moat...in fact I wish I had enough money to worry about! They should know what it's like to live normally watching every penny and worrying about the next bill to drop through the door.

Just who do they think they are?! They go and have their 5 bobs worth about this and that in the "house" and then swan off to some swanky place to eat and drink and don't give 2 hoots about us.

Am I wrong in saying that they should be setting us an example? They are doing no more than someone who milks the country of money by telling lies and claiming every benefit they can and hoping that no one catches them out. What happens to these benefit fraudsters when caught? They have to pay it all back and can even get sent to prison. Do you think any of the PM's who have got caught out will get sent to prison? No, I don't think they will either!

They are not all same, thankfully, but it does make me wonder why on earth they think they can do it and not get caught. Let's hope those with poor memories of things they have claimed for remember to pay it all back and stand down. We don't need people like that setting bad examples.

Moan over. I've been meaning to have a word or five about them actually for some time. Now, back to my browsing.....

So much for the great weekend weather we were promised. Saturday was lovely and warm but no sun. Sunday was perfect, sun all day and very warm indeed. Today, well today hasn't really happened yet. No sun, a sprinkling of rain and just grey clouds. At least it's warm. They do say heavy rain and possibly storms too are on their way for later this afternoon/evening.

Thank heavens I have got yet more washing out to dry again today. So far I have done 4 loads of washing and got it all dry. Lets hope that todays lot, the 5th, will get dry too. Not sure if I should risk getting the sheets washed and out to dry though

Happy Bank Holiday Monday to you all xx

Another thing that interests me and the bank balance a great deal is the price of lagers and other assorted alcohol

Have you noticed that during the year mostly the lagers (say Stella!) are about £14 a box of 24 or there abouts? Then, at the Bank Holiday this price is suddendly slashed to something like £7 a box or even "buy one get one free" or 2 for £15. Hubby gets very cross at this as of course these bargains don't stay on the shelves very long as everyone buys them and then the offer is taken off just as quickly too.

It just goes to show how much of a profit is made if the big supermarkets can afford to do this as often as they do. I know it's all a ploy to get you in the supermarket to buy your other shopping too but it would be so nice if they could keep the prices down all year round. I am sure they would sell me if they did!

Moan over

What is it about shopping on a Bank Holiday weekend?? We get one extra day off from work and the world goes into overdrive and wants to buy the supermarket up!

Have you noticed how people suddenly become manic and grow horns at the Bank Holiday? They get behind their trolleys and that's it, the horns appear and they race off round the shop like trainee rally cross drivers. The leave their trolleys in the middle of the aisle, they stop and just walk off leaving everyone behind them trying to get past. Do they care? Nope, not a jot!

Oh and heaven help us if the weather is good at a Bank Holdiay weekend too. Have you ever seen so many men wearing shorts, flip flops and rather nasty vest type tops showing off their hairy armpits and trying to look macho?? It's enough to put you off your food!

You might have guessed my trip to Tesco yesterday afternoon was rather tiring

There is the most wonderful Indian restuarant near to us. It is highly spoken about and I have never been there. Shame on me eh. Hubby has been with his friends and he rants about it all the time. He keeps on telling me how much I would enjoy it etc etc etc.

Seeing as how we have joint the ranks of the "work hard for your money but can't make ends meet" folk along with so many others we have not had the money to splash out on a visit. Yesterday I was feeling very bold and didn't care two hoots about anything (yes I was fed up!) I decided to raid the piggy bank and we ordered a take away. Blow the expense and bring on the indigestion

Oh my giddie aunt. What a wonderful meal. I had ordered a chicken biriani and hubby a chicken bhuna and pillau rice along with the most wonderful keema naan. My first mouthful was like a riot of flavours exploding on my tongue. We both sat at the table making so many comments as to how wonderful it was that we bored ourselves in the end. I didn't want it to end. In fact, I wanted to wiggle my nose and have it all appear again.

Today, I am sitting here craving one of the other wonderful dishes off that menu.....

How many of you still get to have the ice cream van stop in your street? I'm not sure if we are classed as lucky or not as the van comes everyday and rings his bell and sits...and sits waiting for someone to buy something.

The bell drives me nuts and he will play it again and again and sits with his engine chucking out so much dirt and smelling muck that it's 10 minutes of torture when he arrives. So, do I go out and tell him to bugger off and don't come back again (no one buys anything from him EVER!) or do I just sit and suffer??

I dread to think how on earth he makes any money to be honest. You can go to McDonalds and get a very nice ice cream for 49p and yet he charges nearly a pound for the same thing. I am also a bit fussy and would love to know how long the mixture has been churning away in his machine for too. Salmonella germs must be rife....or is that due to my memory keep flashing back to the food poisioning I had last year??

Anyway, this amused me! I spotted this ice cream van last summer and wondered if this was a sideline he offered along with the ice creams!

This friend invitation lark is all a bit odd at times don't you agree??

I have been bombarded with invites this week from people who have only seem to have joined this week. They have perhaps one post on their blog, more often no posts at all. They don't really seem to add messages in their invites either. If a message is sent it's just a simple "hello" and that is supposed to bowl me over! Well, do you know, it don't!

Then again, on the other hand there are those who mix in the same blogs as you and you even seem to pass comments to each other on others blogs. When you invite them they refuse you! Very selective I'd say!

There are none so strange as folk or so they say

I am sorry to say that things have got in the way of me blogging my life away for a while now. So I have given myself a proverbial kick up the @rse and hope to back within the fold as from now on.

If I'm not, please feel free to kick me again just to give me a little reminder. Don't kick me too hard though, I am a delicate soul don't ya know!

Hope all is well in your world

xx

Did I tell you that we have been watching our very own butterflies grow in school?? It has been the most wonderful experience and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

I got one of those butterfly gardens and then ordered the caterpillars from the internet. They came complete with a pot to grow them in and the food. So, we put the 5 caterpillars into the pot and watched...every day! It took about 2 weeks for them to start forming the cocoons. This was very exciting indeed and some of the children loved telling each other that the caterpillars had died So there were the cocoons, hanging there, doing nothing. "Boring" as one of the boys kept telling me. Friday I put the cocoons into the butterfly garden just incase they turned into butterflies over the weekend.

Monday morning saw me rush into the class lo and behold, there was my first butterfly. I ran and got a few others to come and have a look. I was so proud. Then, during the morning another one emerged. Now this was very exciting!! By Tuesday afternoon we had 5 butterflies all flapping their wings. Well actually, we had 4 flapping their wings. One seemed to be a little disabled with a damaged wing.

The booklet said to keep them for a couple of days and then let them free. Today was the day. We went out to the garden area and let them out. What a wonderful feeling!!! The first one just come right out, did a complete circle of us and then soared over the wall. The second did much the same closely followed by the third. I felt so happy for them, just about to start their adventure.

The forth and fifth didn't seem too eager to get out and go. The one with the funny wing just kind of fell from leaf to leaf and it really made me feel sad. The other just sat there. It was playtime so I went off for a cuppa and left the class out there for playtime. I got back to class to hear that one little boy had stamped on the poorly one.
I was so cross and several of the class were really upset!!!

*sigh*

Today saw the dreaded sex education lesson! A dreaded lesson as the children all get the giggles and then the class go in to overdrive and then the sill questions come bouncing out!

We saw the film and that was fine, it just told them about boys and girls having "friends" etc and about making love and having sex. All was fine until the questions started. "Can you have sex with an animal?" was the first question to have the entire class in fits of laughter. This was closely followed by "Why do men have nipples?". One girl stood up to tell us that she new men could be ladies as her uncle did it. In fact, she told us several times.....what she actually meant was that her uncle was a surgeon who did the sex change operations!

Glad that's over for another year!

xx

OK so here is part 3 and sadly the finaly installment of the tale.

We found Billy's owner We were on our way to the park for a walk with both the dogs when we drove past a note pinned to the wall. Yep, there he was complete with a phone number and address. The address was in the next road so we just drove round there and knocked. The lady and her young son come rushing out and they were so happy to see Billy again. Billy went mad too so it was a happy time for them but sad for us. We really loved this likkle doggie too

So, we let her keep the collar as she said they didn't have one...heaven only knows why. I also told her that she needed to get the dog micro chipped and get a tag for his collar. Is it actually illegal for a dog not to have a tag on but besides that, how silly not to have a phone number on there should this happen again. She did say that they are always loosing him....is it just me or are some people mad??

Anyway, the son is far from happy and the fall out is taking place now as I type.....

....in planting out my runner bean seeds!

I do it every year despite having good intentions. I just went to go out and plant them only to find that it was pouring with rain. I am now going to brave it again while the sky is looking a bit more promising.

I am off to the garden.....

Do you know, sometimes there are so many comments to reply to and rather than say the same thing in every reply it is sometimes easier to do another post to reply....so here goes!

Teddie slept upstairs with us. It didn't seem fair as our dog sleeps upstairs too and we didn't want Teddie to whine all night or feel left out. We were a tad concerned about any accidents that may occur so covered the hall with newspaper, just in case.

He was a star all night! He didn't cry or whine and best of all...no accidents. Phew! We have had a big discussion this morning about him and the future. What to do? We love him already and he really is such a cutie and obviously toilet trained. So we spoke of the insurance. We already pay £30 a month and imagined perhaps another £20 or so for Teddie??? Who knows. It wouldn't cost much to feed him. He's teeny!!

So, we have decided that we have done all we can and now we just need to sit tight and wait. But, for how long? How long until we decide that no one will be collecting him or still looking for him?

In the meantime I shall continue to sit and cuddle him, let him lick me and wag his tail at me and just make me feel very happy

Yesterday, we were a 1 dog family!

Today, we are a 2 dog family!

Son took the dog out for his afternoon walk and come back with the most charming little puppy. He said it followed him back from the park. We took it to our vets to see if it had a micro chip and no it didn't. He wasn't wearing a collar either. We went to the police station and reported it. We called the dog wardens and reported it.

So Teddy/Tommy/whatever his name is has settled in very well. He enjoyed the chicken this evening and loves snuggling up close to us and sleeping. He frets and whines when anyone goes out and can't get up the stairs so cries again when anyone goes up them.

I feel we are in for a noisy night!

I hope no one claims him

Hurrah, the weekend is here and it seemed like it was never going to arrive. The week has been sooooo long!

I have not had the time to do a thing that I have wanted to do either. It seems that the day, evening and night have just rolled into one. I have not even been near my computer for a couple of days either so that will tell you something! I have just had a crap week.

I will say sorry to not visiting anyones blogs either nor have I been able to reply to any comments here. What a friend I am eh

I intend on filling you all in with the madness that has been my week at a later time but now, I am off out with hubby to have a lovely full English breakfast in a dirty cafe with a BIG cup of strong tea. I will sit amongst the builders and listen to their tales of the night out with the lads last night and other assorted stories...I love it!

Bye for now xx

Well, the day went from flippin' awful to horrible!

I have spent the day doing cover work....don't you love that! I also had the pleasure of marking papers too....along with someone constanly non stop chatting in my ear. Far short of telling her "shut up" I don't know how I marked the papers. So now, I will have to go back over them tomorrow now just to make sure all was right

Hope you have all had a good say!

xx

Look at this, 7.454am and already the day has gone from being OK to being awful!!!

I got up at 6.45am to get showered and get sorted for work. I thought I'd have a quick 10 minutes on the blog, you know, catch up etc and then potter off to work. WRONG!!!!! I turned the shower on, plugged the old computer in and bingo! the whole house is plunged into a powerless mess. The electricity has all gone off, must have had a power surge or something so I charge downstairs to reset the electric thingy. The house alarm has other ideas and springs into full voice waking the street! As I try to rush the noise seems to get louder and I panic more. Run to turn the alarm off, no electric so have to run to the kitchen to get a chair as I'm a short arse and can't reach the electric box thingy. I fall off the chair and bash my elbow and curse very loudly!

I return to my still running shower and get in....and quickly get out again! No hot water!!! I go downstairs and look at the boiler...all is fine but not hot water. Now, my hair is so greasy you could fry an egg on it and I so needed to wash it. Couldn't do it last night....another story about that later.

So, it's been a swift cold shower....that was interesting to say the least but boy, did it wake me up!

Oh and over night some dickhead has very kindly kicked the wing mirror off my car....thanks sh17 face whoever you were. May your balls fester and drop off from a great height and cause you a huge amount of pain and suffering!

Now, have a great day everyone!

So is this story true or just another publicity stunt?? Kate and Peter are to split...is this for real or what?

I don't know so much but after seeing last weeks episode of their reality show I wouldn't be surprised if it's true. Peter does take some stick from Kate and last week saw him storming out of a shop.

Oh well, time will tell eh!

Hope you all have a great day

xx

G'night to you all....I am so tired and my feet hurt

I am going to potter off to bed now and try to get some sleep but...the son is on the rampage so who knows if I shall get any sleep just yet!

Night night xx

I arrived home on Friday after the show and was just sooo tired. I sat down infront of the telly with a rather large drinkie just to relax me (good excuse eh!!). Hubby had gone to bed and it was only me and the dog.

Of course, I did my party trick and nodded off while sitting there. The next thing I know I am woken up at around 2.16am by hysterical laughter. What was going on?!?! Once I had gained my senses and had "come to" I could see my son leaning over me with tears rolling down his face with a blue felt tip pen in his hands.

Yep, he had drawn all over my face!
There I was sporting a rather attractive handlebar moustache complete with twirly end bits and a little goatee too. He had also written "I love my mum" all over my arms

Would it come off?

NO!

Apart from using bleach nothing would remove it so guess who didn't go out Saturday!

I went off to work this morning worried sick about where my purse was. All sorts of stuff goes through your head and mostly it's silly stuff too but there it is.

Thankfully today has been a nutty day what with the visitors and that so my mind was taken off it on and off during the morning. Hubby called me lunchtime to say he had found the purse....thank goodness!!! Where was it?? Down the back of the bed I have no idea how it got down there but at least it's been found.

Now, what else can I loose??

Seeing as how I am seeming to forget anything and everything of late I just wanted to tell let you know.....

.....I've now lost my purse!

It was lost between the hours of 9.30pm last night and 6am this morning. I went from the kitchen, up the stairs, to the bathroom and then into bed.

How the heck did I manage to loose the purse????

More importantly.....where is it now?!

My cupboard runneth over.....there is so much food in the house that I didn't know what to cook tonight for tea. I was spoilt for choice!! Sausages?? Chicken? Stir fry? What???

In the end I cooked the sausages, black pudding, did some lovely fried eggs, a tin of Heinz spaghetti and some very nice lattice chip things that the son loves.

How lovely it was too. We all agreed that this was the best tea we have had in ages. I never cook stuff like that...don't know why either but I have to say it was lovely!

Morning!

I will admit to being a little fragile this morning. I stayed up far too late and forgot that it was back to work this morning. I won't be doing that again in a hurry.

The other night I was so tired and just would not give in and sensibly go to bed. Instead I sat there watching some rubbish on the telly and fell asleep. I was woken with a jolt as the glass I was holding had tipped over on my lap and the contents were running down my legs A rather unexpected sensation I have to say. The dog thought it was great fun to sniff it all scare the heck out of me.

So, off to work I go.....put the kettle on!

Hope you all have a great day

I have been asserting myself this weekend. Infact, what I really mean is that I have been peeing off a fair few folk this weekend. I have really not suffered any rubbish from a few people and have put my size 4's down and told them their fortune.

Why do I feel bad about that when it's the honest truth!

Today has been mad what with everyone having barbies...not us though I might add.

Next door have guests staying from America. I did leave putting my washing out until 5ish today to give them the chance to do their barbying and get the smell out of the way. As I put the last peg on the pillowcase the smell wafted over the fence. Damm! I left it all out there anyway just incase....
The whole family are rather musical and before long, the guitar had come out and there was the American visitor singing his heart out. I have to say it was like having James Taylor sitting in the next garden, he was rather good and I liked the oldish tunes he was belting out.

Meanwhile, in a garden on the next road there was another barbie going on...a karaoke barbie no less! The music was blaring and the singing on the karaoke was bad, real bad and very loud!!! Why on earth they thought that the entire district wanted to hear "hit me baby one more time" I have no idea but heard it we did, loud and clear. I'm not sure if it was the same lady singing all afternoon but goodness me, the X Factor need to worry should she arrive at the next lot of auditions

I gave up trying to listen to James Taylor while Britney was singing over the way and went in....anyway, the sun had disappeared too and it was rather cold too!

So it's the begining of the month and that can only mean one thing....the supermarkets are in meltdown as everyone rushes out to fill their fridges again.

Friday was pay day and off I toodled to Tesco. When I say my fridge, freezer and cupboards were empty, trust me, they were very empty. It was going to be one of those gigantic shops where you had to buy everything. Washing powder, softner, dishwasher tablets, cleaning sprays, kitchen foil, cling film, etc...and all this is without the food I needed to buy too!

I ended up getting some great bargains. 4 tins of tuna were half price...now that's a saving of about £2.60 or so and I do love tuna! My trolley was bulging and I spent nearly £200 Goodness me, and I still didn't have any meat so then had to trot off to the butchers and said goodbye to even more money in there.

Even the dog was out of his food so off I went to the pet store and got him his stuff.

So, hurrah....we are fully stocked up again now for at least a few days

I woke up about 6.15am and the sun was shining and the birds were singing....now, at 9am the sun has gone and the birds have too!!

Are we in for a sunny or rainy day I wonder as I have lots of washing to hang out and a good book to sit and read in the sun!

Happy Sunday xx

Thank you so much for your words in my earlier posting. I really am struggling at the moment to make my time last as long as it can but you know what they say...onward and upward!

I had a lovely surprise visitor today. My cousin arrived with Amber...remember the mad ambulance dash baby? Amber is now 3 months old and such a sweetie. She didn't stop smiling and giggling The dog wasn't too sure what to make of it all. I mean, what is this thing in that carrying thing getting all this attention?!?!?

Tomorrow is my dads anniverary. It will be 13 years ago now. Time does really fly and it only seems like yesterday. I can remember that day so very well indeed. What a blessed release from all his suffering. There is only so much a person should ever have to suffer and my dad did more than his fair share. I love him so much, and I just hated to see his suffering and just wanted to wiggle my nose and see all the pain go away. Dying is bad enough but why do we have to suffer so much before that release? I just don't get that....

Happy holiday weekend xx

I am just not getting here at the moment and seem to be missing out on so much stuff!!!

I don't know where my time has gone to this week. I have just been here, there and everywhere but just not here for some reason that I just can't put my finger on. Life is as mad as ever so nothing new there then really.

Anyway, I've not forgotten you all and am sending lots of 's to you all!

Off to try and catch up with everyone now!!

Now hands up who has ever gossiped about something or been mean to someone you have seen walking past the pub window?

Yes, we have all been guilty of this at some point in our life.

Tonight, I went to mug the cash machine and as I got out the car I kind of felt 4 pairs of eyes on me. I looked up and there were 4 people sitting outside the pub. OK, no problem you say. But....as I locked the car one of the girlies was clearly having some kind of dig at me as I saw her nudge her friend and very openly throw her head and eyes in my direction. The 3 other people all turned round and stared at me while Ms Piggy looked the other way in a very kind of "oh my goodness she saw me" way. I strolled to the cash machine and then back to the car. Ms Piggy by now was so very interested in the bottom of her glass and was unable to lift her head up or look in my direction....can't think why! He friends were giving her that sly kind of running commentary on what I was doing.

To say I was fuming is a big understatement. I wanted to go over and give her a piece of my mind but stayed calm, got back in the car and sat for around 10 minutes just glaring at her. Still she was unable to look up.

As I said, we are all guilty of doing this I suppose in one way or another but I for one have really developed a way of doing it...and it's not right in the face of the victim of my pee taking! They really do need lessons on how to do this without being caught!