WHO SAID 13 IS UNLUCKY!!!!!!!

 As I sit at the table writing this blog, not only is it remembrance day it's also our wedding anniversary.

The happy couple

            I've got a pal,
A reg'lar out an' outer,
She's a dear good old gal,
I'll tell yer all about 'er.
It's many years since fust we met,
'Er 'air was then as black as jet,
It's whiter now, but she don't fret,
            Not my old gall

We've been together now for forty six years,
An' it don't seem a day too much,
There ain't a lady livin' in the land
As I'd "swap" for my dear old Dutch.

I guess the words of this old song say it all,and silly as they may seem to some I don't think I swap Valerie for anything, and who would have thought all those years ago we would be living in Latvia, most of us hadn't even heard of it then.
It's interesting to look back over our life together and see just where our path has gone,You know just about everything we have done right the way through our married life, is now coming in very useful, from me working for a Sussex firm of agricultural engineers, to Valerie being trained by Dr Barnardo's as a house mother.  Now we find ourselves teaching two classes of children English,having a Sunday club in our home, helping run a christian club for children in school once a month and this week opening our home to a group of teenagers for a film evening. When we first moved here we said that life was an adventure with God, and who knows what He has in store for us down the line.
 Anyway back to the news from Upes Iela

Not sure if they were ok to eat!!!!

It's been an interesting week this week, Monday found me stripping out our shower, no matter how much acrylic sealer you use it seems that water always finds it's way past it.I always hated having to seal round baths when I was working, instructions dictate that you remove all the old sealer and make sure the surfaces are clean and dry and then re-apply new silicone, if you have ever tried to dry between the bath and wall behind the taps, or at the back of a shower with the shower head dripping down your neck you will understand why it was on my list of least favourite jobs. Anyway our shower had been leaking for some while and now was the time to attack the problem. The removal was quite simple as when I installed it I used stainless steel screws as you would, and after breaking the seal against the walls out it came,revealing a huge black fungus covered area, and yes horror of horrors mushrooms growing under the shower tray.Wall tiles were next, and when removed complete with pieces of chipboard attached we had a hole about 24''X30''which had rotted away,

One of many loads of rubbish

This has been replaced and now covered with waterproof boards. The hardest job of all though was breaking through the concrete floor which is over a foot thick, blood sweat toil and tears come to mind. I had everything but the tears. Some wise ---- once said 'it's all in the preperation' he was some wit who had never got his hands dirty, still the preparation is done now and I have started to assemble the new shower,
Historians tell us that most of the great pyramids were built by people carrying loads on there shoulders in baskets like my modern equivalent above,{Valerie wouldn't let me take my wheelbarrow indoors and besides getting it up the steps was not an option} well if it is true they certainly earned there crust and must have had muscles to match. Next weeks blog should show the finished job, meanwhile with no shower the deodorant can is taking a bit of a bashing.
In between building works this week has included, trips to Riga for floor tiles and taps, Ieceva for boards and panelling, and Bauska for other bits and bobs. Bauska was not a planned trip but we found ourselves with a distraught neighbour on our doorstep asking if we could take her to the vet's as her cat was very sick and needed treatment as soon as possible, happy to oblige we shot of at a rate of knots and all ended well.
Checking the post box on our return I found a very official letter waiting, It was from Vecumnieku novada Dome {the equivalent of local government office}. Now tell me this why is it when we get an official looking letter we always think the worst what do they want? how much is it going to cost this time etc etc,so it was a nice surprise to find a personal invitation to the local Latvian Independence Day concert on the 18th of November, sent by the head man himself no less { still makes me think What does he want} read next weeks blog to find the answer.
Talking of blogs you only have 7 days to get your answers in to last weeks competition.
On the 11th we had a torchlight parade through the village finishing at the school where  songs were sung, poems read and memories told remembering the Armistice of 1919, this was followed by a concert in the school hall performed by soldiers from the Latvian army,and boy,, could they sing.

How are the mighty fallen

I'll finish this week with a little chicken story. Now chickens must be the most stupid birds of all, I think God must have forgotten to give them a brain.
We have a magnificent speckled grey rooster who will insist in flying over the wire {oh yes we have clipped his wings}and strutting around the garden as if he owned the place,As the children were getting ready to leave Sunday club today we looked out of the kitchen window to see the ground covered with feathers.There was no sign of his lordship just feathers and more feathers. We all searched the garden only to find our neighbour tying up his dog which had got loose and apparently he had made off with our chicken!!!!!![or so we all thought],, Stupid bird if it was daft enough to fly over the fence the he had to face the consequences,anyway we have another cockerel to replace him. As the children left somewhat subdued,, a cry went up 'here he is we've found him' and sure enough in amongst the herbaceous plants looking very crestfallen and sorry for himself was our bird. He is now back with his ladies and we hope he has learned his lesson {with no brain not much hope of that}

looking very sorry for himself.

The moral of the story well -----

 Pride goeth before a fall






PS Valerie say's she doesn't appreciate being called an 'old gall' so I told her it's the sentement that counts, not the words, and I'm sticking to that!!