Search among Bee Orchid's articles

Once again, the new year is upon us. Last year contained some slow days, some good days, some bad days; but overall the year seems to have flown by. No matter what happened in any given year, I’m always glad to see the back of it, and always welcome in

I have a sign on my door stating: No Cold Callers. Mainly this stems from having a man call not long after we’d moved in, ostensibly to check our gas and electricity meters. He’d flashed a badge, and stated they were old and should be renewed. He then

Or more correctly, lack of. Apart from walking the dog, and shopping on Thursday, I’ve barely been out for days. It’s seriously dull here, no sunshine, and cold too. Thursday, we had misty drizzle all day long with very poor visibility. I haven’t been up

Long-time readers will know that I used to work on a university campus, and that following a so-called merger, the campus was closed and instead of commuting 5 miles a week, I started commuting 170 miles a week, worked on 2 different campuses that I

After snow flurries and ice on Tuesday, I wrapped up warm and braved the weather to attend an eye appointment on Wednesday. I came away after 90 minutes with a sinking heart, and another appointment for Monday next week. In the last 3 weeks I’ve noticed a

Monday, I had another 90-minute opticians’ appointment. I aced my Fields Test, the pressure tests were good, and more eyeball photos were also good. My cleaning regime is already showing some improvement in the eyelid area too. To cut to the chase, I

Thursday, I decided to play musical cars. I know, it’s supposed to be musical chairs, but I can’t drive a chair. I took my son to university as usual, and decided I’d go home, allow the day to warm up a little, then go shopping. The day started with a

Yet again wind and rain have rocked the Ship although despite the weather, I’ve had a few good nights recently. By good, I mean around 4 hours uninterrupted sleep, followed by snatches of an hour here, half hour there; it all adds up. After last week’s

Expressions that defy logic: I can’t thank you enough – Did you even try? I’m speechless, I don’t know what to say, I’m speechless – Yet you keep talking. I can’t tell you how much I love you – Why not? Could you try? I don’t believe in guns – But

It would appear that I’ve jumped the gun regarding my eye surgery. I had initially thought I was having the surgery in early March, however the confirmation letter states this is simply an initial consultation. I’ve already spent close to 3 hours having

The saga with my eyes continues. I was filling in a health questionnaire prior to my appointment a week from Monday, when I noted that the hospital listed on the letter is not the one offered me over the phone. Instead of being 3 miles away, this one is

After almost a week of fine weather, plenty of sunshine, and warm temperatures, we succumbed to rain here on Thursday and decidedly cooler temperatures. It was nice while it lasted. I’ve had a week of laundry being dried outside, and no heating on. Bliss.

We’ve all heard of the Oscars, and film and TV awards, to name but a few, however I’ve decided to hold my own awards. I’ve mulled things over, and below, in no particular order, are the prize winners. The award for Destroying Various Kitchen Items goes

After a week of sunshine and warm temperatures a while back, we’ve had noting but rain and wind ever since, and Sunday morning we awoke to a light dusting of snow for goodness’ sake. It’s windy, bitterly cold, and I’m so over winter now. It’s a mere 10

The billing systems in England, or at least my part, are very different from where I used to live in Wales. In Wales, we had Welsh Water, no choice, that was it, however the annual bill could be paid over 12 months by direct debit which made it less

I’ve commented before about the pro’s of living near a town centre; easy access to shops, library, GP and so on, the con of living here, is also proximity to all the shops and of course the people. For over a week, the freaking circus was in town and we

These past few days I wouldn’t say that I’m bored, however I have felt at a loose end. The weather has improved somewhat and whilst glorious sunshine hasn’t been much in abundance, neither has wind and rain for which I’m grateful. Since Thursday I’ve

Steak and Ale Pie Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil 1 medium onion – sliced Mushrooms – sliced (optional) 2 tbsp plain flour Salt, black pepper 1 tsp dried mixed herbs 500g diced beef – I like Aberdeen Angus from Lidl 1 bay leaf 300ml dark ale or stout – I use

Although I’m part of the human race – a declaration my son does occasionally doubt – I often find myself people watching in a rather detached manner. Wednesday, my son had to attend a ‘module choice’ talk in readiness for year 3, the final year of his

I’m a dreamer, always was, always will be. I don’t see it as a character flaw, or something to be proud of, I just am. In my youth, I’d like nothing better than window shopping in stores I couldn’t afford; just looking at nice things and hoping one day

Recently I was unable to slice some beef nicely, and my son commented that my ‘favourite’ knife didn’t have a shiny edge to it anymore. I used a different knife, one that I don’t use often, and it was very sharp and did the job nicely. My then partner

Despite having driven around only 2,000 miles since my MOT (road worthiness test) a year ago, my d*mn car failed and I had to have new brakes; an expense I didn’t need. It’s been 4 weeks now since my neurology appointment and I’ve heard nothing

…As a sack of cats. Well, I take back everything good I’ve ever said about our NHS. As regular readers will know, my eye appointment was brought forward 5 weeks, which obviously is good news. Days later, I’ve received a letter saying the appointment has

So, I’ll start by saying I haven’t been drinking. Honestly, I haven’t. Far too early for one thing. This morning (Sunday) I popped over to our local supermarket to get a few items I need for dinner. Initially we were going to have beef curry, however

Or rather, he doesn’t. Usually Henry follows me around like a dog, sucking up all the Ship’s Dog hair and generally keeping the Ship tidy and clean. Lately he’s been listless, gets overheated quickly, and basically, isn’t doing his job properly. This has

This week some spit of a girl has had the pleasure of treating me to electric shocks. My son wanted to do it instead, but no, much to his chagrin, I thought I’d leave it to a professional to torture me instead lol. I have to say, I didn’t much care for

Some time ago I applied for a part time post in a well-known pet supplies store. Not my ideal choice, however getting an admin job in these parts is proving tricky as they’re as rare as rocking horse sh*t. Anyway, I thought nothing more of it, until I

Inspired by Jenny and her terrific neighbours. Over the years I’ve lived in a number of houses with a ‘rum do’ assortment of neighbours. As a teenager, we lived in a new terraced house on a housing estate that had limited access for cars. With

I posted some photos of my limited plant collection, and some descriptions however this is more detailed. The bluebells are ‘native’ to the garden, along with the fatsia japonica – thanks Jenny. The rest are my plants and consist of: Large 23-year-old

This week, the Ship’s Dog was fired. He was having a little nap in the sun, outside the back door which is a lovely little sun trap for him. I don’t mind him napping, however, next door’s cat was also napping in the sunshine, in my garden, on the decking

Today, Thursday, was the Deckhand’s Birthday. 23 years old. Where does the time go? I offered to pay for a meal out, however after last year’s mediocre fayre, and the cost of eating out, he decided we’d stay home. He chose the menu: ribs in BBQ sauce,

Money, we’re told, is the root of all evil, meaning all wrongdoings can be traced back to the excessive attachment of money. But what is excessive? Is wanting enough money, and more, to live a comfortable life excessive? What level of comfort are we

Yet again I’ve had a gas bill for over £1200, and yet again I made an official complaint. A manager called me, stated that it had all been sorted, but that for reasons known only to herself, someone had gone into my account and altered the meter reading

As someone who has lived most of their life in Wales, I do still follow events there even though I’ve moved away. This week, after spending at least £44M on a public inquiry and ‘other costs’ over the years, the Welsh government has now scrapped the idea

It’s been a busy time here. Saturday, we actually had some sunshine, and looking ahead and seeing rain on the weather forecast, I decided it would be a good idea to get on top of the laundry. I managed to get 3 half-loads almost dried, with the final load

Recently, I opened a new jar of coffee. We have coffee bags here – ground coffee in a bag much like tea in a tea bag. Also ground coffee for the espresso maker. However, day to day, we drink instant espresso, powdered coffee, from a jar. It’s very good

Friday was an auspicious day; it was/would have been my dad’s Birthday, it was the longest day or Summer Solstice, and I had an interview for an admin job. I’ve been somewhat distracted of late mostly by the latter, but also by the first a little, and

Forget Dora, I’m Fran the Explorer lol. A few times, after dropping off my son at Uni, I’ve cut through the housing area rather than go around on the main road. My sense of direction in the UK is particularly poor, however it didn’t let me down, and I

Despite sleeping a lot better recently, this week the Klutz Gene has been working overtime. I’ve twice walked into the bookcase in the living room. One time just a graze from the corner, the other time I must have walked heavily into it and actually cut

I like food, and if it’s not too spicy, or screaming in garlic, then it likes me too. Obviously, we need food to survive and without it, we would soon die so it’s essential to our wellbeing and health, however if it can be enjoyed too, then all for the

I’m an optimist, or optimistic; I’m positive, confident about the future, about things changing for the better, both on a global and a personal scale. Sometimes, I confess, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses, and often, I have my head in the

After more than 2 years off from plundering ships on the open waves, this pirate’s treasure chest is starting to look a tad depleted. Initially, I was recovering from being worked almost to death 60% of the time and bored to death 40% of the time. Then of

There is a song that has the title Mad dogs and Englishmen. Apparently satirising our unwillingness to take a siesta during the heat of the day. Well, Monday I tried to take a siesta. It was d*mn hot here, and very airless so after lunch I escaped to my

Thursday: I popped out to the supermarket before 8am to get some much-needed groceries. It was already 19C. It was forecast to be the hottest day so far this year, so an early shop was in order. I bought most of what I needed in one store, though needed a

I love words, and whilst I don’t confess to being verbose, I do like long words that require a little thought. From a young age, I would look up words that I didn’t know, and my Mum went out of her way to provide us with an encyclopaedia set. I know

Okay, that’s something they suggest on a shampoo bottle; however, this seems to be my sleep (or not) pattern as of late. Falling asleep to the neighbour’s TV (how did I manage before?) then being woken by them at stupid O’clock (just for you Gracie)

After almost a month, I finally have the decision on whether I qualify for any financial assistance. They’ve had me attend numerous appointments, provide 2 months’ worth of bank statements, asked why I paid a lot of money to a certain group – it’s my

Despite the promise of warmer temperatures, and sunnier days, it’s starting to feel very autumnal here. I don’t know if it’s the wildly swinging temperature, or the heavy rainfall and high winds, but this morning, whilst walking the dog, I was kicking

The rain has gone, for now at least, and surprisingly for a Bank Holiday weekend (UK), it’s forecast to be very warm and sunny. I popped out Saturday around 10am, and it was already 19C. The next few days are set to be sunny, as mentioned, though by

Life is made up of moments: Moments when we’re troubled – when a loved one drops a bombshell. Moments when we’re ecstatically happy – the birth of a child. Moments when we’re sad – the death of a loved one. Moments when we’re blissful – when the world

Ok, I’ll start by making a ‘sweeping generalisation’ here, in that woman, mostly, are more fussy than men about their hair and who cuts it. I’ve lived here 15 months now, and in that time, I’ve had 3 haircuts which I think is a record, at least in recent

It’s Monday, and I’m back home after a whirlwind visit to Wales. I’d set off on Saturday, a little before 8am, and had a good journey down with no incidents and not too much traffic. I barely got above 60mph, had a brief ‘comfort’ break, and had a

After the initial euphoria of seeing family and my friend, my health took a downward spiral. Nothing major, really, however I suspect I’m suffering some mild withdrawal. At my request my meds were halved; I’m not happy with their reclassification in the

Well, mostly. Today I start what I hope will be my final week of reduced meds before I stop altogether. I’ve been eating live yogurt, and porridge the Scottish way (?) a little salt, no sugary products, and comfort food such as chicken soup, casserole and

The rain clouds have been queuing up over the UK in general and, it seems, over my Ship in particular. No sooner does one cloud empty its contents on us and move away, then another one is waiting in line to soak us with yet more rain. We had some warm

It’s been a week now that I’ve been off my meds. I think it’s such a funny expression, and I use it simply because it makes me chuckle. I appreciate for some people this is a problem, though in my case it’s less serious. My peripheral neuropathy has

Today, Friday, I turned 60. I admit I was a tad apprehensive; the big birthdays are sometimes fraught, however it turned out to be a good day, a very good day. My son bought me a bottle of Remy Martin cognac. When I was working, I was fortunate enough to

After complaining on Jenny’s blog about the lack of sunshine here, we had two afternoons in a row, of some long-awaited glorious sunshine. It wasn’t warm by any means; however, the sunshine was well received, and I managed to get bedding and towels dried,

I wouldn’t normally do a ‘political’ post, however I’m sure that Brexit, or the lack of, is on a lot of people’s minds at the moment, and I note with some dismay, though no surprise, that it looks like Brexit will be delayed yet again after our luckless

This weekend the clocks in the UK have gone back an hour. I always alter mine late Saturday evening, just so I don’t forget – I only forgot one year. So, I tried to stay awake until 10pm, though having already altered my clock, it was reading 9pm. I then

After more job applications than I care to count, and several interviews, I finally managed to land a job! It’s in one of the big supermarkets, and a mere 2.5 miles away. I have an Induction day next week, hopefully paid, then I’ll be in training, after

Thursday was my first day in work after a break (early retirement) of over 2 years, and what a day it was. We spent the day going over health and safety concerns, being shown around the store, and completing all the legal ‘stuff’ necessary when starting a

I’ve read that all sorts of thing trigger memory, including sight, sound, and scent. For example, I can’t smell fresh pea pods without thinking of my Auntie Primrose, possibly great auntie as I think she was my Grandmother’s sister. We would visit her

Since my week working on a supermarket rotisserie section, I’ve been off my food a little. For many reasons, and for a while now, my son and I have been having fish about once a week, twice at most, vegetarian meals twice a week, then meat meals. Since

Recently, I’ve been feeling more than a little vexed. For those that don’t know, and if you’re not a renter there’s no reason why you would know, it’s illegal for the landlord or their representative to simply turn up at the property, and they must give

How To… Ruin a perfectly good sandwich: Don’t use butter or other suitable spread, just use a thin, cheap mayonnaise. My son can’t abide mayo, recently almost bought a beef sandwich, and noticed just in time that it contained mayo. Seriously? Beef and

My son and I will happily confess to being foodies. We eat to live, though if we can enjoy preparing, and eating, our food then so much the better. Of late, we’ve been cutting back on the meat for various reasons and have enjoyed sourcing, and trying,

As regular readers will know, in early December the bathroom light bulb blew. We’d been using a battery-powered lantern in the bathroom for almost 3 weeks when the agent phoned to come and replace the bulbs in the back bedroom. I stated that I’d replaced

Each year, in the UK, we have a New Year honours list. This year I’ve decided to make my own list. Top of the list goes to… no surprises, my neighbours. Christmas Eve, around 8pm, they had visitors. They were noisy all night and kept my son awake though