Kittens

Yesterday Joe and I doubled the size of our family by collecting two kittens. We are now trying to make friends with them and welcome them in to our home. So meet Didimus and Leeloo.

Didimus, named after our great friend in Cameroon is the mostly white one and Leeloo, named after the ultimate being in the 5th element is the mostly black one.

so far they are pretty playful loving their yellow feather thing. Most their time has been spent sitting on out dining chairs, totally ignoring their nice new bed we bought. I think they have been successful in using the litter tray and have found no little surprises yet!

I hope over the next few weeks we will be come best of friends and all have great fun together!

Highest ranking imperial concubine chicken for a short time

We have just spent the last three weeks in china. We covered 2377 miles by night train and saw all the great sights. It is difficult to know where to start telling you about the trip. It was amazing ans we saw so much. We had a brilliant local guide called Frank who kept us well fed and ensured our trip went as smooth as possible. We started out in Hong Kong following a really horrible landing in a grade 3 typhoon. Hong Kong was a crazy city and a good starting point as it fools you in to a false sense of security thinking that being in China cannot be that difficult as so many people speak English! After a few days we moved on the Yangshou, with its beautiful scenery. One of my highlights of the trip was an amazing outdoor performance on the river in Yangshou in the worlds largest natural stage. Directed by the guy who will be doing the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics. Very difficult to photograph or explain the show it is a amazing performance using lights, the water and natural beauty.

From Yangshou we travelled to the three gorges dam and took a cruise on the Yangtze river which was beautiful. From here we went to X'ian which was my favourite city. With the shops in the Muslim quarter, the Bell and Drum towers and the old city wall. We of course from here took a trip to the terracotta warriors, which were just amazing. Having seen the warriors in the British museum I felt I knew what to expect. Seeing the warriors was absolutely amazing. However I really enjoyed seeing the parts that were newly excavated. The warriors in pieces that are painstakingly put back together by the archaeologists.

From here we went to Shanghai which to be honest is the part of the trip I could give or take. the highlight was the acrobatic show which was fantastic. Then on to Beijing to the Forbidden city, Tiananmen square. The final day was a trip to the Great Wall. Walking along the Great wall was amazing, to think you are stood on a wall built so long ago. The chair lift up and toboggan ride down from the wall was fun too!

We had a really great group which made the trip even more fun. A group of 15 random individuals put together for three weeks could be a disaster but we all got on really well and had great fun. Another highlight was the food, everyday we had a feast chosen for us by Frank. I sampled delights such as tripe, donkey, chicken feet and dog. There were lots of comedy signs where they had translated in to English. One of the best gave the title of this post, it is basically quick fried chicken, In a hotel I came across a sigh saying 'If you have an affair please inform housekeeping'.

A sign of Spring

I have said before that I love spring, it has to be my favourite season or maybe the sunny Summers, oh but Autumn is beautiful. No I think spring, it is the season of new beginnings, the days get longer, it is no longer dark when I get up for work. The weather gets warmer (sometimes) and gardens look green and lush. On Sunday Joe and I went to Kew Gardens to see the final day of the Henry Moore exhibition. I have wanted to go to Kew for a while but did not think Joe would want to (for the record he did say he would have been happy to go with me any time) but when he heard about the exhibition he was keen. As we were in London anyway we went. I loved it. The gardens were so beautiful with all the spring flowers out, having the sculptures dotted around made it even more interesting and the old green houses are just so cool. It was a very relaxing afternoon wondering around the gardens and searching the palm house for plants from Cameroon (of which I did find one!)

So here are a few pictures to enjoy. Followed by the photos as promised of our garden. Not quite as impressive as Kew but nice. Including the pond complete with tadpoles!

Sweet like Chocolate

For Christmas I bought my Mum and Chocolate making experience for 2 and being the cheeky daughter I am invited myself along to make up the 2! We spent the day shopping in Oxford Street before arriving at My Chocolate to start the experience. We were taken in to great kitchen surrounded with chocolate and offered tea or coffee where our Chocolatier introduced some chocolate tasters for us to sample and explained to us the history of chocolate. Then he set about showing us hot to make vanilla cream truffles, dark chocolate caramel fudge, nut brittle and Gianduja.

After this the fun began and we moved in to the cut and dipping room. Here we had a slab of fudge, a slap of Gianduja, some nut brittle, some truffles and some bowls of melted chocolate and various bits to decorate with. And we set about cutting, dipping and decorating our chocolate. We both had great fun getting covered in chocolate and trying really hard not to lick our fingers.

I am not very artistic so my chocolates ended up looking like a mess of chocolate but some people around the table were very talented making very professional looking chocolates. We then got to bag and box up our chocolates and tie ribbons around them and bring them home.

I was very pleased to be able to bring some chocolate to reward my Dad who had spend the whole day obliterating the orange paint in the dining room - thank you so much Dad.

So now I have a rather delicious set of chocolates in the fridge even if they do look rather messy they taste gooooooood!

I shall call it home

So we are in the new house, it all went very smoothly on the day. We had completed by 11:00 out of the old house by noon and the removal men had left by 4. There were no nasty surprises awaiting us apart from the red gloss windowsill and number of wallpaper borders there are which I had totally forgotten about since looking round. Everything is tickety boo, there is even some frog spawn in the pond and some rhubarb in the vegetable patch.

There is quite a bit of decorating to do. The dado has to go along with the stone cladding in the living room. Also the orange walls in the dining room will be the first thing to be changed.

We are loving the French doors out in to the garden, it will be so nice to be able to just step outside in the summer. The garden is huge and fantastic and if it stops raining them I will take my camera outside.

Moving on

So it is all done and packed and tomorrow we move house. I have spent the last week wrestling with boxes trying to get all our stuff packed. 'We don't have much, most of it is still packed from going to Cameroon' I said, oh boy we have so much stuff it is unreal. A car full goes of to the tip courtesy of Joe parents (thanks) and that is a mere drop in the ocean of stuff that we have. How did we ever collect so much stuff, it is amazing and we still have stuff at my parents house to collect after the move - eek! Well tomorrow it will all go in one lorry (I hope) ready to move in to our new house.

I think we have never truly settled in to this house since our return as we knew we would be moving. We have a saying that has come quite common 'in the new house we will................' I wonder how many of those things we will do. I plan to grow vegetables in my new green house which I really hope I fulfil.

Once we have moved we will finally feel ready to open all those boxes from the loft and parents houses to unearth just how much junk we have. Everything mush have a place to live or be trown away - lets see how that goes! Off to Ikea to get more storage stuff me thinks.

Moving is not much fun, we accepted our offer on November and it feels like forever ago. With only two houses in the chain we thought it would be pretty quick but never mind we are almost there. By tomorrow evening I will be a very happy bunny and a celebratory pub dinner is in order I think, especially as we will have no oven we dong have much choice.

We have the rest of our lives to unpack!

Remembering Cameroon

Recently I have been thinking a lot about Cameroon. I often think about Cameroon but recently even more so. The weather is cold and miserable now, in Cameroon it is the peak of the dry season and everyday would be glorious. Genesis and Marceline have just had their second baby (although not actually in Cameroon). Many thoughts have been brought on by Bills return to Cameroon following an unplanned visit to the states. Email conversations as he prepared to return and then when he saw all his friends again. Our friend Didimus has been in hospital following a car accident. All these things makes me wish I too was in Cameroon. Here is a video Bill found based in Buea and in Buea town market. Seeing sights I saw everyday, hearing the voices of the local people, seeing the produce in the market, things that were so familiar and now seam so foreign.



However in recent weeks I have been worried for Cameroon and glad I home in a safe country. The nation has been a nation of riots. Increasing fuel prices started the riots but soon this just became the ignition as the focus turned political as the President wanted to change the constitution so he could try to remain in power. Our peace corp friends were getting ready to be pulled out of the country, are Cameroonian friends had no such luxury and just hid in their homes waiting and hoping it will pass. Running out of food as there was no movement on the roads.

Thankfully it looks like things are settling down and the rioting has ceased but things are not yet completely normal. My heart goes out to Cameroon. I remember you fondly and hope you remain the stable peaceful country I spent a year in.

End of an Era

Neighbours has finished on the BBC. The mighty Australian soap opera.

I have to admit I love neighbours. I know, I know its a sad addiction but it is true. I have been watching it for as long as I remember. Tea was at 5:30 after school so I would gulp down my food in the hope I would catch the last 10 minutes as this was enough to understand the story line! Now I have a cup of tea with Neighbours before cooking dinner as a relaxing end to a busy day.

I will of course follow Neighbours to channel 5 but it is a great loss to the BBC.

We look back and remember Kylie and Jason and the wedding of Scott and Charlene. When Daphne died uttering the words 'I love you Clarkie'. Harold missing presumed dead then returning. Oh the fantastic story lines they have had.

I know the show is pretty rubbish, who am I kidding very rubbish, it is just so addictive and a great way to enjoy a cup of tea.

Everybody needs good Neighbours

Change of scenery

Today I had a change of working scenery and spent some time at a local University teaching student nurses. This is not a full change of job but just a couple of extra hours over and above my full time job.

I had to run a workstation teaching the students how to give injections. In my day we learnt how to give injections by practising on oranges. Oh how times have changes now they have these great manikins with injectable skin and everything. It really reminded me of when I did my first injection 10 years ago. I was so excited, it felt like real nursing being able to give an injection. Do you tell the patient it is your first or not? I go for letting the patient know afterwards or else the thought of the needle will be even worse than normal.Now it is second nature and a daily occurrence. One student was shaking with fear so much I worries she would jab herself drawing up the solution and that is with a dummy, what will it be like for her in placement.

I had fun, it is a nice little earner for extra cash - next time NG feeding tubes.

In Memory

On the 23rd January my Grandpa passed away. Aylmer Astbury reached the grand old age of 90 and he was a great man. I remember my grandpa with great fondness, I have my logical matter of fact mind (or Astburyness as Joe calls it) from him. He was a very clever man and always had an interesting little fact about almost everything. Grandpa could make a joke about almost anything and would fit a witticism in to any conversation.

Grandpa was a man of many talents, great at any form of DIY being able to do anything he put his mind to. A lover of music, cars and sundials to name a few. Grandpa told me the story of his first car - I guess he was barely 17 but probably 16, at boarding school and him and a couple of the boys owned a car they kept hidden in the woods by the school. Grandpa was great for letting us ride around on his back, pictured above is Rich having a ride.

Although Grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's towards the end he knew the answers to the mini mental test better than I did. And to the end of his life remained a clever witty man who was a joy to converse with.

So goodbye Grandpa we will all miss you and remember you forever.

Book review: A Spot of Bother

A while ago I read Mark Haddon's first book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Which although was actually a kids book it was very well written about an autistic boy. When I heard he has written a second book I was very keen to read it. This time it is not a kids book but a novel based around a pretty normal dysfunctional family. The book focuses on mental illness and I think is very well written showing how family members think someone is being irrational and does not notice that really they need help until it has gone too far.

It is a very enjoyable funny read with a serious subject matter. In an easy to read format - which is an extra bonus for me! Who needs soap opera's with great novels like this.

Why I hate nights......

Actually I don't hate nights, I hate the days off after nights. The thought of staying up all night to go to work is not great one but once you are there the time flies and it is not too bad. However the worst thing is finishing nights and trying to readjust to normality. I find I have no trouble adjusting into nights but I guess this is because when you are at work you have to stay awake. I find the days off afterwards really hard work. Getting out of bed is tough when you still want to sleep but if you stay there will you not sleep the next night until morning and so the vicious circle continues.

| have tried all sorts, staying up the whole of the first day after nights - once I stayed awake for 30 hours! Or having a power nap then getting up and doing something, but when I tried that this time I slept through 'till 2pm and missed a meeting I was supposed to go to Set my alarm but turned it off rolled over and the next thing I knew it was 2pm. I then woke up at 3am the next night unable to sleep any more. The best night recovery I ever had was flying to Guatemala straight from a night shift, I suffered no jet lag and felt great as soon as we arrived. I did fall asleep on the plane before take off!

I think it will be an on going problem for as long as I do nights, so although I got all these great days off after nights I have to struggle to not sleep through them!

Want to give to charity but too poor after christmas?

I have the answer........

.....free rice is a website where you can give grains of rice to developing countries for free. To do this you have to correctly answer vocab questions. So you do not only give out rice for free you also improve your vocab - which for me can only be a benignant thing! As you get the answers correct the vocab lever gets harder. Needless to say in the short time I played I only got to level 35 - I am quite sure you can beat that!

So give it a go. Show how good your vocab is and how many people you can feed in a matter of minutes. To date www.freerice.com has donated over 6 million grain of rice.

A busy winter

I have to say I have become pretty slack in updating my blog recently. This is because I now see my life as pretty mundane and boring and nothing I think you will want to read about. While in Cameroon I felt almost everything was interesting from doing the washing to my day to day work and the people I met. Now I see that kind of stuff as pretty dull as it is no different to what everyone else is doing. So the end result is nothing to write about.

December has been a busy month. I have felt totally unprepared for Christmas as I am finding it hard it believe we have been back for over six months and Christmas is upon us. However time is running past and it is now pretty cold which most the time I am not appreciating although going out for walks in a woolly hat and fluffy coat with the beautiful winter sky and leaves on the ground is pretty good.

A few weeks back we went to watch Rich complete the Grim challenge. An 8 mile run across an army tank testing ground, I have to say a big well done to him. It looked really tough with loads of rain fall the night before and huge puddles/ lakes to run through. It was not warm that day and he did really well.

I have been very busy with my involvement in the organisation of the Christmas ball. It was hard work at times trying to get people to pay up but we had a wonderful night and Trinity college and everyone looked beautiful.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I make no promises to be any better at blogging next year!

Terracotta Army

On Monday I had a great day out with Mum and Dad, we went to London to see the Terracotta army. Joe and I would love to go to China to see the army in all its vastness but for now this is all we can do. The British Museum had about 12 whole figures, some horses and a few extra bits. Every face different it must be amazing to see the whole army. The display showed you how the First Emperor of China took over the nation and then prepared for his death by building his temple for his tomb and organising his protection. Not only did the army contain warriors but also civil servants to keep the paper work in the after life and some entertainment was also organised in heavy weight men and aerobatic artists. The man thought of everything no surprise he became the first emperor.

the queues were huge and it took ages to get round, and that was having booked the tickets in the Summer. It was well worth it though and I would love to have the opportunity to travel to China and see it for real.

Lean on me

I have been involved in a new project at work over the last few weeks. Its a quality improvement project where by we are using techniques from Toyota and bringing them in the NHS. Hmmm you may be thinking, well so was I. We have spent the last couple of weeks learning all about lean techniques , which is basically to eliminate waste and to poka-yoke (mistake proof) a system. Apply Lean to the NHS and it will, while using no more resources:

• Improve the quality of patient care
• Improve safety
  
• Eliminate delays
• Reduce length of stay

Sounds far to good to be true, the project will last six months so only time will tell.

The first thing we have been doing is using the 5 S approach to sort ourselves out.
Sort - remove unnecessary items from the workplace
Straighten - locate everything at the point of use
Sweep - Clean and eliminate sources of filth
Standardise - Make routine and standard for what good looks like
Self - discipline - make 5S second nature.

The first thing we attacked was the drug cupboard as it was organised chaos. We have now split the cupboards in two, one for stock and one for dispensing with one packet of each drug in use at a time. It is now a beautiful cupboard and lets just hope we can roll it out across the whole room.

We then move on to complicated things like process mapping, it took us two days to map a patient journey with right upper quadrant pain. The trouble with trying to apply processes used to build cars in to the NHS is the healing people is not as simple as making cars. everyone is different. We spent the whole days saying things like 'well that depends' and we have so much that depends on external departments that we can not control like theatres and radiology.

I hope we see improvement and are able to met the aims of the project to increase safety and give nurses more time to nurse instead of answering the phone or searching for equipment etc.

I am now very tempted to apply the 5S approach to our new house and get rid of all the stuff we don't need and find an appropriate place for everything that would be bliss.

Family Chronology

A couple of years ago Joe came across a website of a photographic family chronology. Each year the family gather and take a photo and catalogue it on this site. We decided this was a pretty cool idea so have started ourselves.

We set the date to 1st October as this is the date we met. The project began last year in Cameroon and continued in a rainy car park. We set on a head shot of each of us and a full length of the family together.

The Talbot photo chronology

Tell me a story

I have lived in Oxford for 10 years now and it that 10 years I never visited the Oxford Story. The Oxford story is a ride along thing telling the history of Oxford. How it grew as a University city and telling stories of all the famous alumni. From the literature from Oxford - Lewis Carroll, C S Lewis and T R R Tolkien to name a few. To the 25 Prime ministers and the first use of Penicillin.

The attraction has had to close after being open for 20 years as it needs so much renovation. I could choose to have commentary from Timmy Mallet or Magnus Magnerson as we rode through the back streets of historic Oxford. It was fun and I can see that every school child in Oxfordshire must have gone on a school trip there at some point. It is quite sad it is closing really, not that I ever went until the last day but at least I knew it was there!

Long time no blog

I have been very lapse at blogging recently. Life has been busy. I have been on a stinking long stretch at work so had no days off for ages. Then all my spare time in the last few weeks has been spent house shopping. Last weekend we accepted a offer on our house meaning it was all systems go. Today we have had an offer accepted on a house for us to buy.

We were a little worried as this house was a little out of our price range, also a little over priced if you ask me, so we put in a low offer. But after a bit of haggling an agreement was made which suited both parties and the plan is to complete in the new year. It is all so exciting :-)

Book Review: The Kite Runner

What an absolutely amazing book. This is the first book in a long time to really get my emotions going. It is just so gripping and so gut wrenching. At times it is certainly not pleasant to read but blows any other book out of the water.

The story of two boys living in Afghanistan who are friends but from very different back grounds. One very well to do with a good upbringing and the other the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set in the time of the fall of Afghanistan with mass exodus and Taliban rule. The main character after ending up in America is forced to return to Afghanistan to clear up a long lived guilt. It is very well written and whatever I read next will have a hard act to follow. Must read his next book - on the Christmas list me thinks!