BY INVITATION ….. SHARING …..

By Invitation is back and, I can't believe that we are in our fourth year !

Our subject for the month of September is Sharing.

I don't really have a lot to share. I'm ordinary, have quite a groundhog day life, as most of us have { with a few exciting moments now and again !! }  and don't really have any pearls of wisdom to share with you all. 

I'm sure that everything has been said about sharing much better that I ever could.

 Sharing could be interpreted in so many ways but …..

….. sharing is what it is …..

Nature shares her seeds …..

….. people share information …..

You think that selfie's are a new thing ? Robert Cornelius shared this selfie of himself, that he took outside the store that his family owned, in 1839. It became famous for being the first self portrait or, as is commonly known now, the first  selfie !!!! 

Share a slow dance …..

Share food …..

Share a kiss { especially this one of Benedict's { or should I say Sherlock's } } …..

Share the rain …..

Share mischief !!

Share words and feelings …..

Share a secret …..

….. and, of course, as the child above said, ' Getting married means sharing your toys !!!!!

Everything's better when shared with another.

*****

To see more interpretations of sharing, pop over to Marsha's for all of the links.

image 1: via meetville, image 2: via umla, image 3: via the good old days photograph by George. W. Hales, image 4: via news.distractify, image 5: via we heart it, image 6: via eating like an edwardian, image 7: via pretty sweet, image 8: via forumaski, image 9 & 11: via night tattoo, image 10: via margadirube, image 12: via chinwag, image 13: via polyvore, image 14: via love french bulldogs

A JACKET FOR JACKIE ……….

I have a terrible confession to make ….. 

I don't particularly like shoes or handbags !!!!! There, I've said it and I can hear many a sharp intake of breath going on all over blogland !! BUT …. to redeem myself, I have a very unhealthy love for jackets.

I  bought this one a while ago as, it is so me and I couldn't resist.

I also have the above jacket { and the Tophat } …..

I have this one in the brown and …..

….. the same one in black …..

I have the above, but in grey …..

….. and, I have the two above. These are just the tip of the iceberg, { I wouldn't dare count them all !! } but, they have been accumulated over the space of quite a few years !!!!

Maybe it would be a good idea for me to purchase the above straight jacket, then I wouldn't even be able to buy online, as my arms would be strapped behind my back !! Actually, I wouldn't mind buying it ……. it's rather me …. I wonder who sells it ?!!!!!

I THINK I NEED HELP !!!!

What's your guilty pleasure ? { ….. and that's not an invitation to be rude ….. you know who you are !!!! }

images 1 & 2: via free people, image 3: via shine dresses, image 4: via all saints,  images 5, 6, 7 & 8 : via ebay. image 9 : via interest, image 10: via google

NO REPLY ….. YES REPLY ……….

I am now in my sixth year of blogging and, I'm wondering whether to start replying to the lovely comments that you all leave. I never really gave it much thought until I realised that many of the blogs that I read reply to their comments.

I am now thinking that I have been rather rude over the past five years ….. if you can take the time to leave me a comment, then, out of courtesy, it seems right that I should reply.  

SO …..  shall I answer your comments from now on ? 

Life might get in the way sometimes, some comments might not need a reply and, I can't guarantee that I shall have a 100% record.

Good idea ….. bad idea ? Do you reply to comments or not …… why do you….. why don't you ?

video from youtube, images in collage via: we heart it, zsa zsa bellagio, brown dress with white dots and night tattoo, last image : via crush cul de sac 

WHITSTABLE, OYSTERS ….. and the penalty paid !! ……….

A couple of Saturdays ago, we popped down to Whitstable for the day …… a very British thing to do. Lovely weather, seafood for lunch and a few glasses of wine can never be sniffed at.

….. found a nice restaurant as soon as we got there …..

….. and I ordered half a dozen oysters and half a lobster and, of course, a large glass of wine. I knocked back the oysters, devoured the lobster …..

….. and finished off the mussel juice that Mr. Home had left !!!!!

After that, it was time for a walk along the beach and a saunter into the town.

….. someones lunch on the beach { I could have finished those prawns off, if I'd been invited !! }

….. perused some nice shops …..

….. and a thoroughly good time was had by all until ….. a couple of days later, all hell broke loose in the stomach department !!!!! 

I'm sure that there was nothing wrong with the oysters as I would have been much worse { my sister has had salmonella from oysters !! } but, I have come to the conclusion from past  encounters with oysters, that they just don't like me ! I LOVE them, but the feeling isn't mutual so, no more oysters for me!

So sad to hear the news of Robin Williams ….. one of my favourites.

image 3: via the guardian, image 4: via foodukmsn,  image 18: via skreened, image 19: via ticketmaster ….. all other images via me !!

AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT ….. REPRISE …..

I came across these photographs the other day when clearing out a drawer. I told this story before in 2010 so, for the newer readers of HOME, I thought I would recount it once again.

Are you sitting comfortably ? Then I'll begin …..

About 26 years ago, Mr Home and I were invited to Sunday lunch, with our two children, to our good friends beautiful Victorian home. We had been to their home many, many times before and, I loved it, having always lived in period houses myself. A builder had built a whole road of houses in the Victorian era and, he built and lived in the one that our friends lived in so, he had built this one to the highest spec and, with the best of materials, as he was going to live there. When our friends bought the house, it was in disrepair and they had spent much time and money renovating it.

Also coming to lunch were mutual friends from Wales who were staying with us. Well, we all arrived, drinks were served and we all reminisced for a while. Lunch was served and we all sat around their beautifully polished Victorian table to a delicious Sunday roast dinner.

Now, our hostess was pregnant, which was wonderful, as, they had had difficulties conceiving and had been through IVF which had been successful and, they were decorating the nursery. As we had seen the house many times before, our host and hostess took our Welsh friends on a tour of their beautiful home, as they had never been there before. I decided to entertain the children for a while, as I had seen it all many times before. Everyone then enjoyed dessert and, after a few glasses of wine, I went upstairs to the bathroom. The room next to the bathroom was to be the baby's room so I thought that I'd just take a peek at how they were getting on with the decorating and to see what it was going to look like ….. Oh yes …… you know that you all would have done the same !!!! I opened the door and it was pitch black so, I just thought that I would go in a little further and then, the next thing I knew, I was up to my ***** on the floor with my leg hanging through the ceiling and, half of the ceiling was now on the floor in the hall downstairs !!!! They had been doing the electrics and had all of the floorboards up !! ….. and, they had just had the downstairs hall decorated !!!! 

Can you see the tinge of red in my face ? Oh, was I embarrassed. If only I had gone on the tour of the house with the others, I would have known what was going on.

A male Welsh leg, re-enacting my faux pas !!!!

Here we are with a cup of tea after the event, so, they were really good about it and, it is still talked and laughed about 'till this day. Our children are now 35 and 33 so, you can see how long ago it was { and, you can tell by the 80's clothing !! } I had bruises that were black, blue and green for ages ….. and limped a bit for a while. I also didn't have anymore children after that !!!! ha ha !!
As you can see in the photograph, Mr Home is trying to disown me !!

I guess that should have taught me not to be so nosey but, it hasn't !!!!

all images via me !!

OUR SON, THE MIDWIFE !!!!! …..

Our grandchild was over a week late ….. not unusual I hear you say ….. actually, our son was two weeks late and had to be induced, so I know what it's like !!!! 

….. and then, her waters broke and our son took our daughter-in-law into hospital. She had wanted a home birth but her blood pressure was high. Her mum { who had been staying with them } and our grandson decided to come over for a couple of hours. Before they left our son and daughter-in-law came home. Her blood pressure was fine so, it was to be a home birth. DIL's mum { who, by the way, is a midwife}  and our grandson came over to us to stay the night, to give son and DIL a private time for the birth !

Now at home, they rang for the midwife who immediately set off to their house. Meanwhile, our son was upstairs, getting the birthing pool, thinking that there would be hours to kill, leaving enough time to fill the birthing pool  and to have their baby delivered in a lovely calm, home environment !! Then, our DIL shouted to our son that she had to push and, birthing pool discarded, our son rolled up his sleeves and proceeded to deliver the baby !!!!! Our DIL was very calm and helped our son through the pretty traumatic experience of delivering his own baby { along with a paramedic on the other end of the phone  !!!! } I cannot imagine what that must have been like. I did say to him that it must have been a wonderful experience but he said he wouldn't have quite used that choice of words !!

The midwife arrived after the event !!!!

Anyway, Martha Iris, 8lbs 14oz was born and is beautiful.

Here she is with her daddy and big brother and is the most wonderful addition to our family.

Welcome to the world Martha my dear !!

image 1: via google, images 2&3: via me, video via YouTube