One of my middle boys has lost his school trousers! Like money grows on trees for petes sake. I said to him did you walk home in your pants or something? Geez! I'll have to buy new trouserss tomorrow morning from Tesco's at the crack of dawn then drop him off in school later. I'm flaberghasted honestly. I have turned the house upside down and still can't find them?

We were cleaning out the poly tunnel when we found we had over looked this 'Courgette' - Ain't that a Whoppa! Whats the record for the biggest Courgette? lol

By the way, i'm in need of some recipies for this beauty

It hasn't been often that we can eat all our own home grown vegtables at the same time of harvesting. Today we are, we're having a lamb dnner for super, with our own home grown potatoes, peas, green beans, baby carrots and parsnips.

I have a new hobby, I didn't even know I was 'fine-tunned' to it this much until I searched for next years holiday destination. I browsed 'Corsica' and the adjoining islands and too my fliping suprise it has an 'Active' Volcano. I did not know this at all - honestly

I scaled Mount Teide in Tenerife 2 years ago and had the biggest buzz of my life, even though I went back this year, I didn't climb the mountain, for some reason it didn't feel right. I figured I'd be pushing my luck to survive a second hike and live to tell the tale, so instead I past it loving gestures from a great distance and prayed that it'll look the same in the morning!

Well I am interested in this mountain in the Med and with luck i'll visit it next year, scale it, conquer it, take great pics and hopefully survive to tell the tale. I won't take the kids though - thats just stupid, well especialy after what I read here. I'll have to take them some place else - somewhere safer. Check this out:

Fireworks night: Trekking Mount Stromboli

Where: Stromboli, Aeolian Sea near Sicily
Best Season: July & August are great times to stay up all night and watch the show
Best Sights: Dramatic firework show of throbbing hot lava
Remember to Bring: Flashlight, food & water, a guide & strong boots
Watch out for: Red hot lava missiles & changing weather conditions

Mt Stromboli gets ready to blow

Of all the Aeolian Islands, Stromboli is the most beautiful, a sheer volcanic rock rising from the sea. If you dare to brave it alone you can sleep on the foothills of 3000ft Mt Stromboli, an active volcano, and witness the onslaught of throbbing hot pieces of lava.

You can take a day trip to Stromboli, but it is better to stay at least one night in order to climb the volcano and see the dramatic lava flows and explosions against the night sky. It's a 3 hours strenuous hike from the village base to the summit.

How to get there

Cars cannot be taken to Stromboli village or the nearby village of Ginostra, so travelling in from Napoli by ship, hypdrofoil or small boat is the only option and then hike by foot.

Where to stay

The population of Stromboli during the summer months goes from about 500 locals to 7000, so you've got to book your accommodation well in advance. Hotels are expensive and a room in a pensione (hostel) costs about $35.
If you're planning a longer stay, there are hotels and guest houses on Stromboli but during the winter or high season (July and August) accommodation can be a problem so remember to book ahead.

Hiking Tips

- If you're not fully equipped you can buy hiking gear from Stromboli.

- Before you set out, take a trip to the visitor centre near Scari where you can find out more about the geology of this mystical and mighty volcano.

- You'll need a guide in order to climb who will take you all the way to the summit, and you'll find one at the San Vincenzo church square. It's not only illegal but dangerous to climb the volcano alone - as the weather may turn and fog, thunderstorms, falling rocks and with all that active lava can lead to a nasty accident. A guide will be better equipped to anticipate the mighty volcano's moods.

- To make the most of the fantastic night time fireworks, the parties leave in the afternoon staying at the summit until late at night. During the summer tours depart at midnight until the early morning.

- You should never sleep on the top, as occasionally there can be massive lava explosions, so the very top of the mountain should be climbed with a guide.

Equipment Essentials

Flashlight, food, water, hiking boots, sun protection and wind protection.

Chase Cats!

Thats all it it took for me to snap the ankle tendon, tear the achillies, have another tendon tear off some bone and fracture your Tibia!

I'm in agony!

Nobody know's this though, they all think i'm tough around here keeping a smile on my face, carrying on regardless - to a point!!! Most of the time I do have to rest for the pain, but I feel i'm in a battle with optimism!

I have my second cast on, another 3 weeks of bloody mind maddening itching, hoping, half bathing, being kicked yada yada yada, the onto the physio after that. To be honnest I don't know which hurts the most. Physio can be excruciating and very time consuming, but I only have myself to blame.

I'm trying to take it on the chin, but sometimes I get so pissed off with it all. It's something every year for gawd sake.

Anyway, i'm going to bed. i'm no use to no-one down here today.

I hear there's a storm brewing? Damn, I Just had a few more loads of washing to dry on the washing line! This always happens to me, whenever I get it all washed - I can never dry it! Double Damn. London has had one of the warmest days I hear, they hit 31 c yesterday, WTG, hope everyone wore sunblock!

Talk to you soon <3

Somehow I have managed to survive the past four days and am hoping the end is nigh.  It all started Friday lunchtime when my 4yr old son went down with a dreadful virus; the teacher burst out of the classroom eager to have him sent home, he had an unmistakale temperature! I took him home and gave him some calpol and settled him on the sofa to rest, from that point on he vomited for 2 days. The whole house went on hold to care for him and by sunday we thought we saw a break in the 'bug'. he went all day without vomiting - phew was an understatement. He started to eat again right away, small amounts but he kept it down regardless. We put him on re-hydration meds and by yesterday evening he was able to play in the garden for a while. I settled him back in bed at bedtime, made sure he was comfortable etc and thought to myself thank gawd that's over with. I was so tired I had been constantly nursing him for nearly 3 days.

kk vent over.

Sigh, just a regular holiday weekend, lie in, eat a good wholsome breakfast followed by a trip to the A+E [huh]!!! Why Me? I had a phone call to say my son had been bitten on the forhead by mils alsation dog, aparently he was teasing it and the dog bit him! When hubby told me on the phone I imediatley phoned up primecare to see if his imunisations were up to date. The nurse said she needed me to phone her back the second my son got back home and as it happened they walked in, he was crying with a puncture hole above his eye. The primecare nurse on the phone sugested to take him to the hospital to have the hole glued.

Once we got down there, my son was seen to right away, the nurse there said she couldn't glue it because of the risk of infection, she continued to clean the wound, he was ok, he had stopped crying and was more interested in the spiderman car on the floor. She put this sterile dressing over the wound and gave him anti-biotics and a sticker. My son was happy again he is covered by the tetanus shot he had in school, I was so glad when they confirmed that, that was my biggest worry, wondering what infection he could get.

Sighing whistfully, what a perfect start to the school holidays!

What next. Stress is attracted to me, i'm like a magnet for it. <3

I've had a mentally horrible day today, I've been crying uncontrolably due to pms. I haven't been diagnosed with pms but I think crying is a good indicator of it. Hubby was understanding and by far the only person who I can open up too properly. Even though the initial symptoms are more or less gone, the aftermath - 'Insomnia' just kicked in. I think I laid on my bed for most of the day just staring at the ceeling wondering how long this mood swing will last this time and wonder how many different ways I can hate people for no apparent reason. But thats how it is when we go through this phase, we get weird - We know this, Controlling it is another thing altogether!

The Met office has issued some warnings of thunderstorms to hit the south of England and parts of Wales for the next few days - Regular bank holiday + School Holiday weather eh! This helps loads ...not!!! Having my kids stuck in the house for most of the week isn't something I had planned, I don't really feel like having to deal with hyperactive kids right now. I just had a thought, maybe hubby could  take them swimming through the week! Just figured something else out aswell, I must be comming back to normal since I have begun solving little problems again. What a relief!

I started a low calorie diet a few days ago, it's going well. I want to be able to walk around the beaches of tenerife without having to suck in my tummy. They say women shouldn't pay so much attention to how they look because men really don't see what we have problems with. Is that true? Do men 'not' see big asses and cellulite? I know my hubby loves me the way I am, but when a woman see's another slim perfectly formed woman we tend to want the same body and naturally we get paranoid. I was looking at other women on the beach last year and thought how did I let myself get so out of shape? I never used to be like this, and ended up pulling my towel up a little bit further. I don't want to do that this year, I want to feel proud for trying to look great, if it's not perfect it don't matter, at least I can say I tried. Until next time.

Hello!

P>S For Jackfrost, Happy Birthday for Saturday:D <3<3<3