24/07/2011 by Aileen.

Baby Olivia arrived on Thursday at about 4.30 am. She was so considerate, as we were travelling down south to niece’s wedding near Southend. We stopped at the John Radcliffe and met our beautiful new grandchild. She’s so perfect.

We’re still away in Wickford at a really nice hotel, and we had a fab wedding yesterday, but will post the photos later. Life is so good, and then we hear abouth the tragedy in Norway and Amy Winehouse’s death. Life is so unfair too. It just makes me so grateful for what we have, but aware that things can change overnight. Words are inadequate for what I feel and think.

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20/07/2011 by Aileen.

Well, so much has happened, and so much is going to happen. Fiona is expecting her little one any time now. Hopefully tomorrow. That would suit John and I (and I’m sure Fiona) as we are going dahn sarth for Rachel’s wedding on Saturday. Rachel is my brother Niall’s daughter. Fantastic young woman marrying a really nice guy. We decided to have a few days away as the wedding is near Southend. The baby isn’t due until next week but the hospital decided to bring things forward for various reasons.

We had a super time with the kids, Liam and Kieran. They get on so well together, much better than I did with my brothers. Ali says that when they stay with us it’s the only time they get to play together. I suppose at home they’re going to various teams and clubs. Ali and Eric stayed for the first weekend, and we just cooked and ate. I can hardly remember it. Oh yes, we had a lovey barbecue one day. We bought a 2man tent for the kids, but only Liam slept in it, which I think was very brave of him. It would have been much more fun if Kieran had agreed to sleep out. Liam came in about 4am as he was cold.

We had two days out. The first was to Eden Camp, which they loved last year, but didn’t seem so keen on this time. There were lots of schools there crowding out the huts. Two days later we went to Flamingoland, and they really enjoyed the rides. Unfortunately they had less time than they could have, as I wanted to see the zoo animals. When we got back to the games section we found that the park closed at 5pm and everything was shutting down. Stupid on a lovely summer’s day. Another thing John and I were disappointed about was that we tried to eat in a restaurant that seemed a bit better than most of them, but we weren’t allowed to eat outside. So we tried another outlet, but the outside bit was cordoned off. Both these places lost out custom and we had fast food pizza/fish and chips instead.

Nothing much more to add. My birding group had a one-off special to a brownfield site close to Hull. It was a dull day, so not as many butterflies as I was hoping for, but oh there were so many different types of wild flowers. I’ll never remember them all. For example we all know cow parsley (Queen Anne’s Lace) but there was also upright hedge parsley (much more delicate) and another one - something like carrot parsley???  We saw fleabane, centaury, oh dear, I’ve forgotten the other stuff. But so pretty. I took loads of photos with my macro lens but had the shutter speed too low and the photos are mostly blurred. I’ll try to put a few up. But I have some good photos of Liam and Kieran, so I’ll put them up too. Soon I hope to have photos of my fourth grandchild.

Oh, and I have had my hair cut. I was toying with longish hair for a few months, and enjoyed pinning it back with combs, but no one seemed to like it. So I decided my family were right and had a short hair cut. I showed Mitty a photo from my Amateur Photographer. Think it was Gina Lollobrigida! And that’s who I look like now (if she was grey) I might put those photos up too.

I should be tidying the house and packing, as we are leaving for Southend tomorrow with a stop at Oxford hoping to see Alexander’s new sibling.

Can’t upload today’s insect/plant photos as they are still in raw format and I haven’t time to convert them. Anyway, they weren’re very good.

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07/07/2011 by Aileen.

Busy day today getting ready for Ali, Eric and the boys who are arriving very late tonight. A & E staying until Sunday and we have Liam and Kieran until next Saturday. So - beds to get ready, shopping to do, and for some reason I feel impelled to get the house spick and span. Probably so at least I start from a good base!

Got my replacement iPad yesterday, this time straight from Apple. I got a full refund from the firm who sent me a used ‘new’ one.  Birding yesterday was good. Saw spoonbills, egrets, herons and various wader. (So guess what habitat we were at!) I forgot to send Micahel some photos for his blog.

http://www.eybirdwatching.blogspot.com/

I might put some on here, but might be a bit busy all week! Best photo, not technically, but amusing, was a heron being mobbed by gulls.

Bye, peeps. Shower calls and it’s gone 8.30am.

Oh, nearly forgot. John had his first assignment for OU course back. 85%! Well done that man.

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01/07/2011 by Aileen.

Nothing to say about it,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/30/mother-in-law-email-viral

but thought the heading might boost my viewings

Well, I’m on the side of the poor daughter-in-law. Yes, she seems like an uncouth and selfish woman, but blimey, what a hostess from hell is the mother-in-law. (Or future MIL - if Heidi has any sense she’ll get out quickly.)

Anyway, John’s birthday today, and he’s feeling much better. I deserted him for my Creative Writing class this morning, and it was up to its usual great quality. Then we had lunch at The Nag’s Head, Preston, and met up with some former members of the class. Tuna jacket for me.

I made a detour to Waitrose on the way homeand bought readymade crab starter, chicken main dish with potato rosti, and Eden Mess for afters. Wolf Blass Cavernet Sauvignon wine as we don’t care that white wine should be drunk with fish/chicken. I’m about to start ‘cooking’ and have had a sherry (just to finish the bottle you understand)

I got a full refund for my ‘new’ iPad so have ordered another one, this time from Apple themselves. It’s not in stock yet, but I’m happy to wait for up to a fortnight. Hope it comes sooner.

Martin is coming to stay overnight on Sunday as he has a meeting in Doncaster. They all skyped earlier and Alexander was waving to us, looking puzzled at how small we were.

Ali and family skyped John earlier, but I was out. Everyone is well. All’s right with the world. Well, it’s not, but our little world is fine.

Thank God.

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