nearly merry...

My, how quickly time passes and how little time I have online!!

A very quick update on my life...

Married life is treating me very well. Steven and I enjoy each others company so much that it is painful to be apart on the night's that I work. I am still now working as a carer/support worker for Qura Brain Injury Services, and am enjoying it and settling in well. I work between 1 and 3 24 hour shifts a week. Steven works a couple of shifts a month with Qura and then is employed by another local care agency and does house calls.

I GOT MY VISA!!! For those of you who I haven't told yet...my visa came a few weeks ago. We were perfectly honest about how long we'd been together, etc and had no hassles whatsoever. I think we have fairies watching over us!!

Steven and I are busy looking into WWOOFing in Cornwall. We visited a work colleague of Steven's on a farm nearby where she is WWOOFing and spent an afternoon feeding alpacas, horses, miniture sheep, goats (baby with a bottle), guinea pigs, ducks, chickens and rabbits. We adored it and could easily do it while we do our other jobs. So we have applied, and are probably going to be living on a mobile home or caravan on a farm, learning about organic farming by early next year! We have the exciting task of picking a farm at the moment! We could of course travel the world WWOOFing if we wanted to, but probably have to wait until I have British citizenship!

Before you think that WWOOFing is rude, here's what it means:

World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms or Willing Workers on Organic Farms
(WWOOF) is an organisation which facilitates placement of volunteer workers on
organic farms. The international headquarters is based in Lewes, England.
Several countries have their own affiliated organisation.

How WWOOF WORKS
In return for your help on organic farm, gardens and smallholdings you
receive meals, accommodation and the opportunity to learn. Wwoof volunteers do
not pay to stay with hosts and Wwoof hosts do not pay volunteers for their
help.

WWOOF aims
> To get first hand experience of organic farming and growing
> To give practical assistance to producers of organic food
> To get into the countryside
> To make contact with other people in the organic movement
> To form links and foster understanding between city and rural
dwellers
> To facilitate inter-cultural understanding between people of different
nationalities

Visit WWOOF UK's website by clicking here

Carbis Bay, Cornwall. Where we went for a walk a few weeks ago!! Isn't Cornwall amazing?

Remembering...

Mikey would be 28 today! Remembering him fondly and thinking loads of his family and friends !!

Mikey's 27th b'day in London with sister, Izo, and bro-in-law, Michael.

Xmas 2004 - Mikey, I & Tatiana in Jeffreys Bay

Rugby in Cardiff (Wales vs SA) November 2005 Matt, Shells, Mikey, Petal, Monkey & me

Mike's 26th birthday, not long after he was diagnosed!

Friend Karl, after releasing Mike's ashes into the ocean at J'bay.

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep

By Mary Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep;

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;I am not there.

I did not die.

Love, love and more love