Charles, my brother died

Well since my last post which was absolutely ages ago life has continued. I have lost Bluebell chicken and Red bird chicken as well as Snowy chicken. The very worst thing tho which is the worst thing I have ever known is the loss of my little brother Charles.

Charles Andrew Edward Thompson was born on 13th October 1966. He died on 10th April 2014 at the age of 47 years. He just went to sleep on Wednesday night and was dead on Thursday morning. Cause of death is as yet unknown and we await the autopsy.

I cannot describe the loss I feel. Its awful.  I did expect him to die before me since all his life he has had health problems but there was no immediate life threatening problem anyone knows of. I expected him to be around at least another 10-20 years tho. I suppose at least he probably died without pain and without fear. Most of Chas's life he actually was in considerable pain having had a childhood illness that left him with arthritis as well as a variety of other ailments. He had also recently been diagnosed with both Kidney disease and Sleep Apnia so it was probably one of these that killed him. Eventually they will tell us why he died but really it doesn't matter cos I have still lost my brother.

He was the most generous person I have ever known and was always buying me presents. Well he was always buying everyone presents. That's just how he was. The thing that made him most happy was when he gave gifts to people and he spent most of his money doing just that. Christmas will never be the same again. It was when he was happiest. He was always embarrassing me with his extravagant gifts and I just could never afford to do the same back. He loved Christmas and the act of giving.

I was a rubbish sister and never really appreciated Charlie. He just died. And I loved him my little brother Charlie-boy. I do not think I ever actually told him.

Well I am back!

Well decided it is just stupid to not write on the old blog so as of this minute I intend to publish this particular post to BOTH blogs. Brax house in the country is strictly for all the other rantings I do while the House of Cake is strictly for recipes and crafts and stuff like that. That way I can attempt to organise my writings and ramblings a little better! So here goes...............

The end.

Well this is the last post. Not my last post but THE last post of THIS blog. I have let it slip and decided to start all over again with a brand new blog which I am going to set up in a minute. Then my aim will be to write every day as a sort of writing practice and then see what happens. Did ask a mate who also writes if she fancied doing this together but she has never replied so I assume she doesnt fancy it. Anyway not too sure what the new blog is going to be about but since I am currently part way through writing 4 different books I need all the practice I can get and also may even find I am actually writing for real if I do this. Either way I need to write. Maybe it will end up similar to this blog where really it is a diary of my life over the last few years but I am hoping to make something more of it. Anyway for now at least this is the end..........and the begginning of ..................The House of Cake............

The last of the ex-batts

Lilly died on Friday 25th January 2013. She was around 6 years old and as an ex-battery hen didnt do too badly getting to 6. I loved her very much. She was no livestock. Lilly was a pet. She was the last of her flock and its now feeling very final. All 8 of my ex-batts have died. I have 3 new hens but I did love my ex-batts very very much. Truly the end of an era. I will never forget you my lovely destructive girlies.

Malala

I was sent this link to sign a petition http://www.avaaz.org/en/malala_hope_d/?bkpLVbb&v=18667 Well I did it cos the girl must be very brave to fight this regime. When I read My forbidden face some years ago now the whole Taliban thing was vey upsetting and that was without me ever having to experience such a life. To be less than second class! Now that is so horrible. There is no word I can think of to describe it. Malala must change the world. I really hope she does. I am sure there must also be many thousands of other women and girls who feel just exactly like her. WE just do not know their names - yet. And how many have already died for just this? Made me blog again anyway. I have been very lazy and un motivated recently. Looking for the next pathway. Well I may have found it. Still no news on the manuscript I sent to a literary agent but no news is good news. Every day when the post arrives I am scared and check for my returned document and so far so good. At least whatever happens it may actually have been read this time. I am still waiting and hoping. Walter still comes and is seen most days and if there are no peas out or wild bird food he still flutters too close and dive bombs for want of a way to describe his antics. And if it rains he / she sits on top of the bird table looking sadly at me. Still tho he is a free wild creature and not in the least tame. Yesterday he was throwing what was possibly his most recent offspring off the table. They must now be old enough to look after themselves. Walter for us was a success story indeed. Except for one tiny problem.......I feel tied. That I am now not able to move house since he may just be relying on my peas and food to survive. So for now at least I am stuck here. wood pigeons get to around 17 years of age. Walter is just about 2 years old now so we have some time yet in this house. The fact was when for just one day we had no wild bird seed and Walter followed me around in the garden and front and back of the house where usually Walter is never noticed sort of suggests the food is needed and important. And so I have a problem.......Does the bird actually know how to survive without our help?

jam chutney and wine

Well the E has broken on my keyboard making it very hard to type! I have been making jam - an antiviral elderberry jam found here http://www.jameswong.co.uk/#/antiviral-jam/4548324208 I made double and got 2 large jars and one small one. The house round the corner have left a bucket of dropped cooking apples outside every day for anyon to take so I used 3 of their apples. I also used a dried eucalyptus leaf and 2 fresh homegrown chillies and a lemon rather than lime, so slightly altered the recipe. My recipe is 800g elberberries 3 small cooking apples ( type unknown) 800ml water juice of 2 lemons a few dried eucalyptus leaves ( from my parents tree which was cut down last autumn) 2 fresh chillies 1kg of sugar I boiled the ingredients in a the water, seived the mixture and collected the pulp. Then added the sugar and boiled and simmered till it reached gel point. I actually have a jam thermometer but it never reached the mark for jam but is very much a set jelly so looking like my thermometer which cost £9 was a waste of money. In the end I relied on the chilled plate test my Mum used to do! I left a pot outside the house where the apples came from in thanks. Well I reckon of you take something even if offered you should give something back. This was on friday. Today I made apply and blackberry jam and green bean and apple pickalili. Oh and syphoned the peapod shuck ( wine) into bottles and finally at 21:16 am cooking some dinner. I am knackered and starving and need to eat now. I have not had time all day for food but have existed just on coffee and raspberry tea! I saw Walter this morning too. Came for peas. The weather is getting colder anmd he needs an easy feed I think. Came for brakfast. Ate loads and then flew off as always. He has been very friendly recently sitting with me in the early morning just after dawn. he comes and sits in the alder tree and just stays there. I sit and drink tea in a garden chair. We have a strange but lovely relationship me and my wild pigeon. Hes most definitely a wild animal but seems to feel afection for his rearers and like to be known to us. Amazing really. I feel so fortunate, I could almost say blessed but I am not religious but our relationship is not at all as I would have dreamed could happen. I expected Walter to fly away free and that would be that. But still he makes it very plain he wants to visit us. But only when the world is asleep in the early morning and there is just him and me awake in the garden! I sent my book off to the agents - or the first 50 pages. Every day when the postman comes I expect it to come back but so far nothing. First agent I have approached tho so time will tell. I am afraid tpo hope after all the likelyihood they will want to be my agents is so slight. Not that it isnt a good book. It is. But I have already rewritten page 10 so who knows. Maybe it is not time yet?

SMEG HAVE LET US DOWN AGAIN!

Still I am waiting for Smeg to get round to fixing our dishwasher. For a so-called up-market company or brand SMEG is really crap! I mean why cant they just fix the thing. In nearly 2 years we have had a working dishwasher for only about one month. The rest of the time its either been half working using rubber bands to fix it or completely out of action. Very nice of SMEG to give us a replacement but it is no better than the original one. DO NOT BUY SMEG anyone who reads this. Do yourself a favour. Buy a cheaper brand that may not look as good but will probably serve you faithfully for around 5 years. The warranty is up on this one in December. I suspect by January we will be saving for a new one and its going to be a Bosch or Candy or hotpoint or anyone but not SMEG. And you know what as long as Live I will never ever buy smeg again. AND I will advise anyone I ever meet who thinks about it not to.They are meant to be coming again tomorrow but something tells me by next week there will be yet another problem with this useless dishwasher.