Archive for the ‘Friendship’ Category
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 26, 2011
Yesterday I became a lady of leisure doing no work all day as is my usual behaviour on a Saturday, although occasionally I will work at home on this day. It is important to me to keep the sabbath day as a day unto the Lord always remembering that the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath. I go as far as working at my profession if somebody asks me to do a job in an emergency situation. This fortunately has only happened a couple of times and all other requests are deferred until the following week. So all I did yesterday was watch television, go online or amuse myself on the computer, play my guitar and generally pottered about the house and garden. It wasn’t too warm in the morning but that didn’t stop E from messing about outside and later in the day she dug out all of the potatoes that had been cultivated in our raised cultivation bed between the two greenhouses. For such a relatively small area she recovered a large bucket full of potatoes. They look good enough to eat! LOL.
It got much warmer as the day wore on and by evening it was quite warm and sunny, not as warm as the Cote D’AZur but just as sunny. Today promises to be at least warm and perhaps it will turn out sunny too! I hope so because we are entertaining family, friends and neighbours by having a barbecue in our new patio. Today I shall be working by ensuring they all enjoy themselves! One of my friends is presently on the other side of the world nearing the end of her three-month tour of the far east including Australia, Thailand, Singapore and I’m not sure where else. I haven’t heard from her for some time so I hope she is alright. She enjoys herself when she is our guest and we both will miss her presence this time. I am not sure how the day will go but I am determined to enjoy it no matter how it goes.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Community, Enjoyment, Entertainment, Family, Friendship, Fun, Life, Lifestyle, People | Tagged: Australia, Biblical Sabbath, Christianity, Entertainment, Friendship, God, Lord, Old Testament, Singapore, Thailand | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 17, 2011
On Wednesday E and I went to do some shopping after I returned home from a job. We bought furniture oil for our outdoor furniture (seems logical) and some more brick sealant (we ran out of the stuff when we treated the patio brickwork last time). That will keep me occupied for a day or two I am sure! Whilst we were out E paid a visit to the store where we bought the materials and furniture for converting our toilet/cloakroom into a shower/wet room and cloakroom. Coats will only be left there temporarily by visitors, our own coats are stored in our bedrooms. It is the only room downstairs that can be used as a temporary cloakroom. I digress. She went into the store whilst I sat in the car. We were wondering why it was taking them so long to deliver our goods, E was told that it would all be delivered the same day, a matter of two hours later! They were true to their word and it was delivered as promised. This means when it is raining I have a job to do indoors and when it isn’t I have plenty yet to do outside! There is no escape. All this depends of course on my availability, I do work as an electrician too!
Next weekend we hope, weather permitting, to have our first barbecue of the year (we did have a small one a week or so ago, just the two of us) where we will invite family, friends and neighbours. This will make good use of the patio too, well that was one of the reasons for building it! If the weather is not fine we simply eat indoors but that means cooking indoors too which takes more time I find, especially when it comes to cleaning up! As long as it isn’t raining or it isn’t too windy we should be alright. I like having people around for drinks, food and fun. We usually have music, games or a quiz to help things along. As long as my guests are happy, I am happy.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Family, Food, Friendship, Fun, Life, Lifestyle | Tagged: Drink, Food, Friendship, Fun, Garden furniture, Home and Garden, Life, Patio, Shopping | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on June 4, 2011
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Yesterday morning, as planned, E and I went to buy the windows for the garage and the plastic trim and the sill (for one of the windows), which we will fit ourselves. The day was hot and sunny, a day for relaxing and doing nothing. I had plans to dine out with a friend and she arrived a few minutes after midday. E was staying at home, though I had invited her to come along. We left around one o’clock and drove the fifteen or so miles to a place E and I often go. My friend has been there too whenever we have chosen to celebrate a birthday or other event there. We enjoyed a lovely meal together and were in no rush to return home. When it came to pay the bill my friend went to the toilet whilst I paid it. She had given me her share in cash but I intended to pay by card, a debit card rather than a credit card. I opened my purse but could not find the debit card. I have three debit cards and one credit card but the card I wished to use just wasn’t among them! The previous day I had used the card to buy the telephone extension lead and I know I had it with me when I returned home. Not wishing to use either of the other two debit cards I was forced to use the credit card instead. No problem, it just meant that I had to transfer funds from the current account I would have normally taken the funds from to the one that pays my credit card by Direct Debit. I do that via the Internet. I am at a loss as to where the debit card might be but rather than worry about it I telephoned the bank and had it cancelled. They will send me a replacement in a few days. I was a little annoyed that I had misplaced the card but that is just one of life’s minor problems. I paid the bill and we both left for home. My friend stayed for an hour or so as we sat in the patio and chatted over a couple of drinks. E was busy at the other end of the garden doing some weeding and planting but she joined us after a short while. The weather remained warm and sunny until sunset but my friend had returned home and we had returned indoors. Although I like the weather to be warm and sunny I am not overjoyed about it being too warm. I get hot and bothered if it gets too warm. Today looks like being a hot day and I have work to do in the garden. I am not looking forward to that. Fortunately the work I want to do (sifting the soil in the vegetable plot) will be done in the shade if I do it in the morning. Having said that I am signing off to do it!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Food, Friendship, Leisure, Rest and relaxation, Weather | Tagged: Credit card, Debit card, Direct Debit, Food, Friendship, Rest and relaxation | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on March 20, 2011
Last night I was invited to another social evening in the company of the members of an Archery club in which my friend is also a member. Sometimes these gatherings are slow to take off but once the wine flowed folk began to relax and enjoy themselves, me included! The meal was good and likewise the company. I have attended a few of these gatherings as a guest and each time I have been made most welcome. It must have been after midnight when I arrived back home. I didn’t go to bed straight away though, I wrote and posted the post below!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Food, Friendship | Tagged: Archery, Drink, Food, Friendship, Recreation and Sports | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on March 12, 2011
We call it the weekend but if we want to be pedantic it is really both the end of the week and the beginning of the next one. It all depends on the customs of your country. Sunday is now the traditional day of rest for Christians but the real sabbath day of rest for Christians is the same as that of Israel ( part of which are the Jews of today and in fact much of the western world: see http://www.ucg.org/booklets/US/josephsbirthright.asp and other literature) and that day is Saturday or rather Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. This means that Saturday would be regarded as the last day of the week, the rest day from the six working days. God didn’t actually rest in the sense that we mean a cessation from tiring work because of tiredness, it means He abstained from carrying out further work or simply ceased doing it because it was all done. I digress. However things were changed by the Emperor Constantine and Sunday became the rest day. No matter. The simple fact is that in many nations of the world there are work days and rest days. The working week in the western world is usually meant to be Monday through Friday with two days off, the weekend. My personal choice is Saturday as my sabbath rest and Sunday for doing sundry things. This Sunday E and I have invited family (such as are available) and friends for an afternoon of relaxation together with refreshments of food and drink. I hope this will mark the first of many more during the year, hopefully some of them outside in the sunshine!
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Drink, Enjoyment, Entertainment, Family, Food, Friendship, Rest and relaxation | Tagged: Biblical Sabbath, Christian, Drink, Entertainment, Family, Food, Friendship, God, Israel, Jesus, Jews, Sabbath, Ten Commandments | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 22, 2011
Friday and nothing to do but to enjoy the day. I got up around 9.30 and after a while had a nice soak in the bath, something I love to do when I get the chance, especially if I have been working hard. This however was morning but I took the opportunity to soak anyhow. My friend and I were going out to lunch but she didn’t collect me until 1.00 o’clock. She had chosen a place where E and I like going, some miles north of where we live. My friend, Jane, lives in Liverpool. She is presently going through the early stages of transition after many years of denying herself. Now I wonder where I’ve heard that before? We had a lovely afternoon spoilt only by the fact that I began to suffer from trapped wind after the meal which thankfully didn’t last long. It was pleasantly sunny when we drove to the restaurant but the fog returned on the way back home at around 4.00 o’clock. Today I shall be resting but hopefully will be working once more in the garden tomorrow. I have to fill the newly constructed ….Mmmm.. I’m not sure what you would call it but it is essentially a totally enclosed walled area we had built recently in which we intend growing vegetables. It needs some hard-core to fill the base for drainage before we top it with soil. It is quite a large area to fill and fairly deep too at almost two feet (600mm). When that is done there is the pathway to continue. So lots more to do yet. I may get the chance to do more during the coming week so that we can start erecting the new greenhouse soon.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Friendship, Leisure | Tagged: Friendship, Leisure | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 16, 2011
What a different day Saturday was to the lovely warm and sunny Friday! It was windy, cold, wet and quite miserable but that is the nature of English weather. I didn’t get up too early, in fact it was around 10.30, so I skipped breakfast and even had a late lunch. I spent some time watching some of the snooker masters championship games on the television but eventually did other things to pass the time. E went to her meeting and she was followed by our son returning to his place soon afterward. It is nice having the place to myself for a spell.
Last summer we had a couple of our neighbour’s trees pruned back as they had become too invasive. As it is, one of those trees is still far too large and some of its branches still overhang at a high level. It was this tree that suffered most in a recent stormy period we had a couple of months ago, one of its upper branches snapped but was left hanging precariously over our garden. It was only a matter of time before it snapped off completely and as we’d had a pretty windy night from Friday evening through to yesterday morning that is exactly what happened. Now the branch looked fairly small when hanging aloft but when it landed we could see just how big it was! We seem to be having a season of chopping and sawing tree branches lately; only a few days ago E’s nephew arrived to clear out the garage of all the logs we had stored there recently, and there were quite a number of them! Now there will be lots more and we still have another two trees to fell. The grounds around our property have changed quite a bit during the last twelve months and look far different from what they once did, for the better I have to say. It all takes time though. Today I hope to do a bit more outside if the weather allows me to. Tomorrow I shall be working in the morning so I won’t get an opportunity to do much at home and besides, the bricklayer will be working in the same area that I would need to work in so I probably won’t bother. We’ll just have to wait and see.
My friend sent me a message on Friday to arrange somewhere for us to go for lunch this coming week if it was possible and we will do that on Friday. She has recently come out to her parents as being transsexual although she has known about her condition for quite some time. The initial reaction from her dad was quite positive but she now tells me that both her parents are now a little uncomfortable with it, which is understandable. It must be difficult for any parent to learn that their child is transgendered but I feel they will come round in time. I had the opportunity to come out to my parents but chose not to. It was only a couple of years before I came out when they both died. In a way I suppose it was better not to put the extra pressure on them as they were elderly and not enjoying good health. I should have revealed myself long before that but the opportunities to transition in those days were not as they are today. How times have changed.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Activity, Friendship, Garden, Transgender | Tagged: Friendship, Gardens, Parent, Transgender, Tree | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 1, 2011
This year come 27th January I will have known E for 38 years and have lived with her for thirty-six and a half of them. We married 18 months after we met. Which means we know each other pretty well. I loved E from the beginning and that hasn’t changed despite all I have been through in our relationship. Oh there have been good times, wonderfully good times but there have been bad times too. Isn’t that the way for any marriage? I digress. Half-way through our marriage E became very ‘cold’ toward me and try as I might to resolve the problem it stayed that way. She would have good moments followed by bad ones and I was the recipient of her antagonism when she had these mood swings. There was no real reason for them, no medical reason that is. My live was often hell and I was treated like a leper sometimes. I persevered though because I loved her and felt sure she would see sense eventually. She didn’t and it led to our divorce. I had given up my whole life for her and denied myself a lifelong ambition to transition. I made up my mind to fully transition about six years before we divorced and did so three years before that event. For a while after the divorce we hardly spoke to each other but I couldn’t bear the atmosphere and did something about it. We had planned to sell up and move apart but those plans didn’t bear fruit and we agreed to stay together about three years ago. It works well and we get on very well now strangely enough. I have gone all out to please her and to give her what she wants, materially speaking. She knows that I love her, she has always known that, she has told me many times in the past. However she cannot stop treating me badly occasionally and I suppose I will never understand why. A few days ago she accused me of something, which wasn’t true by the way and I told her so and asked why she says such things. At this moment in time we are not speaking again! E has what you might call an abrasive side, she seems to delight in rubbing folk up the wrong way, she has a very short fuse too and is bad tempered! If you remember the old nursery rhyme, ‘when she was good, she was very, very good but when she was bad she was horrid’, that describes E to a ‘T’. The other morning I came down for breakfast and she was already up. She had finished breakfast and was watching the tv we have in the dining room. I wished her a good morning and she just grunted. I continued to prepare my breakfast whilst trying to chat with her. She didn’t wish to know. Why she is like that I have no idea. She wonders why I avoid her sometimes. Yesterday I treated myself to a few bottles of lager we have in the fridge and felt so miserable I decided to visit the pub. It was around nine in the evening and I had no intentions of staying there all night for the new year celebrations as I do not celebrate the occasion, I simply had to get out of the house for a while. The pub was packed with people enjoying themselves and I went straight to the bar and ordered my drink. Within minutes I had all sorts of people come up to me and give me a big hug, my friends. They asked why they hadn’t seen me there for a while. I made no excuses and told them I don’t bother going to the pub as often these days. They were all pleased to see me anyhow. I guess there must have been around thirty or forty hugs from my friends. After an hour or so I left and came back home. I’d had more drink than I wanted and was drunk! After a snack I went to bed and don’t remember much until six when I needed the toilet. I guess I was in bed by 11 o’clock and asleep by five past! I am having a rest today (sabbath) and intend to do nothing at all. E still isn’t speaking to me but I know that will change soon so I won’t press it. Peace on earth and goodwill toward all men (and women)? Yes but only when it suits some people it seems.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Behaviour, Friendship, Love, Relationships | Tagged: Behaviour, Divorce, Friendship, Love, Marriage, Relationships | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 16, 2010
It was early evening on Saturday when I was dropped at my local pub. E and I had returned from a restaurant but she didn’t want to come with me to the pub and dropped me off instead. I didn’t stay long as I only wanted a couple of drinks. As it happened there was a football match on the big screen and the place was full of people. I hadn’t been to the pub since February and I suppose the regular customers there probably thought I’d left the planet! As I went in I was greeted by three friends and we sat and talked a while. A short time later another friend appeared but she didn’t see me until her daughter (working as a barmaid to help pay her way through university) pointed out that I was there. She dashed over and gave me a big hug as if I’d just returned from a worldwide trip. Obviously pleased to see me and I her. A guy was there who never fails to buy me a drink and did so again when he saw me. He was the one who told me some time ago that everyone in the pub loves me which was lovely to hear if a little embarrassing. It would appear that I am greatly missed when I’m not there and it is to my shame that I don’t go there as often now but at least I know I will always be welcome whenever I do.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Friendship, People | Tagged: Friendship | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on November 14, 2010
Yesterday E and I went out to a restaurant some miles away. Before we left I took a quick glance at my mail. I had three envelopes, one was obviously a bank statement, two was a circular and letter from UCB (Christian broadcasting group) and the third was a special letter from a friend. It had an American stamp and her address on the front. It was the only one I opened at that time because it was getting late and we wanted to eat. I was delighted to find a lovely message inside a birthday card and had a quick read there and then. When I eventually returned home from the pub later (E had dropped me there after our meal) I re-read the card and my eyes began to fill with tears at the joy of what I’d seen. It isn’t often that someone very special comes into our lives and I for one lack many close friends but this girl is very special. We met in Thailand eight years ago and have only seen each other once since then. That was last year in June when E and I visited New York. We got to see her for a few hours only and although she had changed a lot since she moved to America some six years ago (I think) she is still the same girl to me. Her name is Geraldine and she was born in the Philippines but now lives happily in New Jersey. We do communicate through Email so we are in touch but it is nice to receive real mail, especially a birthday card from her. By the way my birthday is next Sunday 21st.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Friendship | Tagged: Friendship, Greeting card | 3 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on July 29, 2010
I had a lovely dinner yesterday. E and I went to a ‘carvery’ where we could fill our plates with as much vegetables as we could eat along with the meat of our choice. I had beef, she had pork or rather roast ham. It is one of those places where you buy your first soft drink (if you want one) and then you can refill the glass as often as you wish by walking to the vending area. I generally have a diet cola and E usually drinks the ‘full fat’ variety, that is the ordinary cola. Yesterday I had a fine bottle of red wine brought to the table but it was only I who was drinking it. We go to this place fairly often and so we are well-known to all the staff and we laugh and joke with them. Later, after we had returned home, I decided to visit the pub but didn’t go immediately. E drove me there and returned home to watch her favourite tv programs. I was immediately greeted by a few people whom I’ve not seen for a while and then I went to the bar to buy a drink. I had a pleasant evening and I actually spent very little money. Everybody wanted to buy Shirley Anne a drink and would not let me reciprocate! It is nice to be accepted and greeted like that. During the evening a girl who was chatting to some mutual friends was intrigued with me. It seems she didn’t know my history but because somebody had mentioned my transition she wanted to know more. I have no problem with that as long as I am treated respectfully and what I say is in confidence. We left the bar and chatted outside at one of the tables there. She thought that I was a lovely person, genuine, sensitive and kind. Now I am not sure why she saw all that in me having only just met me. Perhaps I ‘radiate’ love, who knows? I discovered that we did have something in common, she was a Christian too. We chatted about that. She is a nice girl and I think I have made a friend in her. She invited me back to her apartment to share a bottle of wine together with a guy I know very well who lives in the same building. They have a kind of brother/sister relationship and nothing more than that. Simply good friends. I had to decline the offer for a couple of reasons, one, it was very late in the evening and two, I’d had far too much drink already! They departed and I walked home. It must have been around midnight when I get indoors and I sat for a spell at my computer. E decided to go to bed but I opened my emails and received a lovely message from my friend Geraldine who lives in New Jersey. She sent me a link to a piece of music from ‘The Lion King’ which she had recently been to see in New York. I was in tears as I listened to it and found myself praising God, I was so happy. Life is good isn’t it? Oh yes, there are troubles but life is good. Anyhow I must have nodded off to sleep sitting there on the sofa and when I looked at the clock it was four-thirty in the morning! I wasn’t going to bother getting into bed but I changed my mind and eventually did so at six! I was up and about again by ten. I had planned to be at home today anyhow so that E and I could do some jobs together in the house. We got those out-of-the-way and had a late lunch. She has gone shopping with her mum as she does on a Thursday. As I write this she has just returned! Looks like I will be bringing in the groceries now so I will sign off.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Friendship, Leisure, Life, Lifestyle | Tagged: Friendship, Life | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on May 21, 2010
Yesterday whilst clearing out that room in the cellar I came across two Teddy Bears. They were about half a metre in height, one was the usual brown colour and was wearing bib and brace overalls, he looked a pretty tough guy I have to say. The other was more flamboyant in that he was coloured red with a white chest and to his shame he was naked! They were both looking rather dirty having been left to their own devices for a few years so I decided to place them in the washing machine to clean them up. Now before I get complaints about cruelty to animals I have to tell you that our washing machine is very Teddy Bear friendly and washes gently. I placed them inside and told them to hold their breath whilst the machine filled up and I could see that they were doing just fine because as the drum began to turn they both waved to me. I waved back and said I would come back later to dry them off. Now being in a confined space is no treat for anybody but for two Teddies it must have been unbearable, forgive the pun! To my shame I had almost forgotten them because of all the work I was doing but when I did let them out tears filled my eyes. They had been fighting! Rough Teddy must have taken a dislike to flamboyant Teddy and started a commotion, a rumble in the tumble if you like. The outcome was that poor Flam’s chest had burst open and all his guts had spilled out into the machine. He must have fought well though because Rough’s eyes had been torn out as well as his mouth! They were so badly injured I had them put down. I felt awful about the whole affair.
If only Teddy bears would learn to live with each other as we humans do, everything would be OK…………..LOL
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Friendship, Morality, Philosophy | Tagged: Behaviour | 4 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on January 3, 2010
Today my ex. and I arranged a get together with family and friends, a sort of hot and cold buffet with plenty of booze (whatever takes your fancy). Unfortunately not as many as we asked actually turned up! In fact one friend seems to be inaccessible just at the moment. However those who did arrive had a really great time and so did we! We love it when people come round and have fun with us, it is what we are all about. After eating and a few drinks we had a quiz. Might I say at this point that my team won. Not one to boast but intelligence wins! LOL. My guests have gone home now but I am expecting a return visit from two of them later. It is nice to be able to invite people to our house. I, that is we, do appreciate those friends we have and we hope that they have thoroughly enjoyed their time with us. I only wish those who did not respond could have been with us. Life is too short not to enjoy it when you can.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Friendship | Tagged: Friendship, Fun, Life | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Shirley Anne on December 27, 2009
Looking at my blog stats today I noticed one of the referrers was a blog site in Bangladesh. When we place tags on our posts we can find that post crop up on somebody else’s blog as a possible related topic to some post they have themselves posted on their site. When they click on that link they reach your blog and discover your blog site. This is how we get many visitors and possible future friendships developing. This is the good side to the Internet. It is nice to know that people around the world can read your blog and learn about you. Of course I reciprocate and view their sites too. In doing this I find I am connecting with other people who have visited the same site and then off I go to look at their sites too. The number of connections could be endless if we are not careful! It’s a bit like using a dictionary, one word leads to another which then leads to yet more words. When I first started ‘blogging’ I got but few visitors. Now I have a regular group of people visiting and the list seems to be getting bigger. I only hope I can make their visits worthwhile. To that end I plod on……..
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Friendship | Tagged: Friendship, Language | 2 Comments »
Posted by Shirley Anne on December 3, 2009
I am finding so many people visiting my blog lately which is very nice to know. It’s as though I’d just become famous! Well I am not famous but just an ordinary girl going about my daily chores and enjoying my life as best I can. I love making new friends and I consider all those who bother to look me up as my friends. Close friends are few and far between in my life even though I am a very friendly and sociable person. I am not complaining of course but it is nice to know people take an interest in little ol’ me. Mind you they say there’s no accounting for taste! LOL. Today for instance I have been inundated with calls but unfortunately they were all only asking for me to work for them. Maybe I have become famous in that way, I certainly get many people contacting me through somebody’s recommendation. I wished I had a really close friend though, it’s something I think we all should have in our lives. I have my ex. who can only be described as my soul mate and one who is very dearly loved, aside from her there is nobody whom I could call a very close friend. Now I hope those of my friends who are reading this don’t take that the wrong way.
I think I should hate being famous for the wrong reasons but it’s nice being recognised and appreciated.
Shirley Anne
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Posted in Friendship | Tagged: Friendship, General Chat | 3 Comments »
It got much warmer as the day wore on and by evening it was quite warm and sunny, not as warm as the Cote D’AZur but just as sunny. Today promises to be at least warm and perhaps it will turn out sunny too! I hope so because we are entertaining family, friends and neighbours by having a barbecue in our new patio. Today I shall be working by ensuring they all enjoy themselves! One of my friends is presently on the other side of the world nearing the end of her three-month tour of the far east including Australia, Thailand, Singapore and I’m not sure where else. I haven’t heard from her for some time so I hope she is alright. She enjoys herself when she is our guest and we both will miss her presence this time. I am not sure how the day will go but I am determined to enjoy it no matter how it goes.
