It was a springlike day and Celeste Tyalskye was looking out of the window of her office watching a JCB reverse backwards to the sound of beeping, just narrowly missing a parked car and the phone rang.

"Tyalskye and Pacy Detective Agency, Tyalskye speaking." Celeste automatically put on her 'office' voice, a world away from her usual broad lancashire accent.
"I have a problem that I hope you can help me with. Someone has been stealing my rubbish," a woman with a voice that could have been any age said. "I've noticed that for the past 3 weeks, each time I put out my bin bags, they disappear by the next day, and it's not the dustmen."

Celeste was momentarily lost for words. She didn't know what to ask next. This was a rarity for her.
"Erm. I think we had better meet so that I can take down all the details. Can you come into the office tomorrow?" Celeste quickly opened her desk diary to see that tomorrow was indeed free - all day.
"I can fit you in at, say 11 am." That would give her time for a bit of a sleep in she thought.
"That would be fine. My name is Ms Sharon Stonk. Thank you. Goodbye."

Celeste realised she was so gobsmacked that she'd even forgotten to ask the woman's name!
It had been a while since they had case that had fired her imagination. The last few had been all paperwork and following paper trails, not much human interaction at all.

She was writing down '11am. Sharon Stonk' in her diary when Macy arrived. It was 10am. As they were now partners, she couldn't really tell Macy off about being late, in any case, they had nothing urgent on that required them both to be in the office anyway.
Helen, their secretary was on holiday, again. This time it was the Bahamas, for 2 weeks. She gave a wistful sigh just thinking about what it would be like to be somewhere like that with no timetable for 2 weeks.

"Whatcha!" Macy came in and put the kettle on in the little kitchenette area at the rear of the office. To the clatter of mugs she asked.
"Do you want a coffee?"
"I'll have a cup of Orange Zinger please." Celeste said, preparing for the usual onslaught of comment on the waste of good hot water on herbal tea bags.
"Ok," she said getting one out of the brightly coloured packet.
"Sugar?" She asked politely.

"What's going on?" Demanded Celeste.
"I don't know what do you mean?" Said Macy, all innocence.
"You know. Being nice, when I've asked for a herbal tea." Said Celeste, bristling nicely now.

To her surprise, Macy suddenly burst into tears and sat on a chair and got a hanky out of her bag. Of course it was pink, with a lace trim.
Celeste got up and went to her friend and put an arm around her, her mood dissipated into one of concern.
"I'm pregnant!" Macy declared loudly. Their neighbours and people passing by outside would also be surprised at the news, given that it was told at such a loud volume.

"Ooo Macy." Said Celeste, biting her tongue to stop the words 'who's the father' before they left her mouth. "I don't know what to say."
Macy sniffled and the tears dried and she gave a weak smile.
"I think I'm really very pleased, but I don't want to be."
"Look whatever you decide, it'll be fine. Just give yourself plenty of time before making any decisions." Celeste felt proud of that piece of advice, applicable to all situations, at any time. Except, of course, when dismantling a bomb.

"Let's drop it for now then. Ok? Any work come in?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, something quite interesting, though I only know the bare bones of the case as yet. The woman is coming in tomorrow at 11." Said Celeste taking out her notebook and starting to jot down the few details she'd been told.

"A Ms Sharon Stonk has had her rubbish stolen for 3 weeks now and has no idea of who is doing it." She said looking at Macy to see her reaction.
"Hmmm. I've got an idea about it, but I'll say no more till we see her tomorrow. We can't solve this case too quickly as we get paid by the hour."

Celeste was once again startled at Macy's astuteness when it came to having intuitive ideas that could lead to answering the most baffling questions. She knew by experience, that Macy was right more often than not and wondered what conclusions she had come to with such brief details.

The rest of the day was spent in good old paperwork. This was Celeste's speciality and she was good at it. Macy just nodded in the right place and did what she was told.

At 11am sharp the next morning, their client arrived.
She was blonde, about 5'6" in heels and looked quite glamorous. She had matching handbag and gloves in a brilliant emerald green. It should have looked tacky, but it didn't. It looked like a fashion statement, and that statement said 'I'm a fashion setter, not a follower.'
She wore a 2 piece navy suit with emerald green piping on the collar and cuffs, the exact same shade as her bag and gloves. She had navy shoes with a stiletto heel. She looked fabulous. A string of pearls completed the outfit.

"Please sit down and tell us all about it. I am Celeste and this is Macy." She said waving her hand in the general direction of the introductions.

"Well, 3 weeks ago, or thereabouts, I put my bin bags out, put them in the wheelie bin for the dustmen the next day. Just before going to bed I realised I had some more rubbish to put out, so I binned it and took it outside. When I looked in the wheelie bin the bags had gone!
This has happened each time I've put the bags out. I don't want to be obvious and watch, so can you do it for me?"
It made sense that she wouldn't want to put herself in any possible danger by confronting this bin bag burgler. He could be violent for all they knew, they would have to proceed cautiously.

The next move would be to hide somewhere nearby to watch on the evening after the bags were left in the wheelie bin. Rubbish day was on Wednesdays, so it would be next Tuesday, which would be tomorrow.
"So, Wednesday is rubbish day then?" Said Celeste.
"O I dunno, depends on what happens, I might have a good day! Boom boom! Macy could never resist an opening for a really corny punch line.
Still, it made everyone smile.

TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW (Have you solved it already, like Macy?)

DINNER
Chicken Risotto with Basmati Rice
Salad a la Moi

LUNCH
Crayfish tails, mussels, and prawns in a seafood sauce
Cold organic Spinach pasta twirls, left over from yesterday

"Do my stats look big in this blog?"
"No!"
"No?"
"No!!"

"Well, do my stats look bigger than, say, 3 days ago?"
"No, they are rapidly dimishing, like the returns on your posts."
"What do you mean?"

"Put it this way. If you expect a Bloscar, then you are going to be disappointed, judging by the dwindling comments you are receiving of late. Not many people are reading your blog these days."

"Oh."
"You still have a couple of regular readers, but you'd better come up with something a bit more interesting than what you have for dinner if you want to brag about being a popular blogger."
"Ok. Here is an instant poem then. Dedicated to those regular readers who have stuck with this blog, through all the boring times."

BECOMING NIGHT
A timeless marsh glowed an eerie luminescent green.
A tired sun fell slow, like snow
below the horizon.
Beckoning calls of the nesting birds clung
to the air like salamander waves.

The silent, cold, dead water reflected
a silver crescent moon.
Reflections of ancestoral outlines.
Those who had looked into this
timeless depth across the aeons.

"Whadja think? Will it draw in the crowds?"
"Don't hold your breath."

LUNCH - at about 11.30, so it could be classed as breakfast.
Fried roast potatoes from yesterday
Baked beans
Sweet chilli sauce

I had company, and I always find it hard to eat with noise, chatting and stuff going on so that probably didn't help me to enjoy the food. I originally thought I'd have a fried egg with it and then discovered I'd run out of eggs.

All 3 of my grandaughters were visiting and we played 'charades,' with a lot of enjoyable misunderstandings.
Molly acted out a film and we got the word 'hair' from her pointing at her hair. So far so good. She then got a pot plant and pointed to the pot.
'Plant?'
'Cactus?'
'Earth?'
'Pot?' Yes! Eventually.
So we were saying 'Hair Pot?' Getting nowhere.
She shouted out 'Harry Potter!' Thinking it was obvious to everyone.
'Oh,' we said.

It was my turn. I went and got a teddy bear, sat him on my shoulder, hopped into the room, covering one eye with my hand.
'Pirates of the Caribbean!' They got it straight away!
I then mimed a book and a film. First word saw me prowling the room doing a silent roar and holding my fingers as talons.
Molly looked a bit frightened. I must have looked quite scary.
'Alien?'
'Monster?'
'Tiger?' Grunts of encouragement from me.
'Lion?' Yes! then it was easy, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The eldest 2 are going go-carting later. I told them of my go-carting exploits.
'You know I set a record, when I went, a few years ago.' I said, proudly.
'Really?' A puzzled look showed that Molly wasn't sure if I was serious.
'It's true. The slowest lap ever. 7mph.'
It's true. The others lapped me about 10 times for each one of mine.

LATE LUNCH

Roast Leg of Welsh Lamb
Roast Potatoes
Brocolli
Organic Carrots
Gravy from Heaven

For the first time, the lamb was a bit tough and chewy, so I only had a small amount and left the rest. Veg were nice, but my appetite wasn't up to its usual speed.

In the early hours of this morning, I awoke to a painful sore throat and head full of catarrh. So I walked around in the dark to locate my sweet stash for a mint to suck on to ease the throat.
It seems like things will get worse before they get better. I now have a cold, though on a how medically ill am I scale of 1-10 it only rates about 3.

Not a shred of tobacco has touched Mr A's lips since Tues 23rd Jan, 6 days now. I, however, have managed to survive on a few puffs on a ciggie when the craving gets too bad. I don't smoke in the house, and the odd puffs probably amount to 1 cig. So, I'm getting there, slowly, keeping busy when I fancy a puff.
I tried nicotine gum - it tastes like a full ashtray! Vile stuff! Yeuch! That is last resort measures.
Today I springcleaned the house to the extent of hoovering the cushions.

I am now typing on a pristene clean keyboard having used lighter fuel to get the grease (Mr A's fault) from the keypads.
I had to really, because I couldn't read the numbers as they were so overlaid with grease and dirt.

Clover and Whisper, the hamsters are still with us, keeping us amused with their antics. They prefer to be active through the night, whizzing round in their wheel. They are almost spherical in shape, and I'm not sure if it's fat or fur! In the cuteness chart though they score 10/10.

I keep having to snack to keep off the cigs, cheese, olives, licorice, I can see how people put on weight when they give up!
This blog must rate an all time high score for boring - even I'm bored with it. I've got too far into it to make it interesting at all now.
So, You could print it up and read it in bed tonight and guarantee a good nights sleep.......

DINNER
Vegeburgers
Baked Potatoes
Salad a la Moi with extra onion for Eve

We have the lovely Eve, my 10yr old grandaughter staying with us since yesterday. Such a lovely personality, helpful, cheerful and able to chat on an adult level. She has been vegetarian all her life, so vegeburgers are on the menu tonight.

We went to the market to pick up a painting that I had framed for Mr A's birthday, it looks good. Did shopping and walked around on a very cold day, I bought her some gloves and a fingerless pair for myself.
Eve is very enterprising and usually has a stall at festivals in the summer selling glow sticks and some other items she buys cheap and sells at a small profit.
She is into Lilly Allen's music so we've been listening to her on the internet. Sweet voice with her songs more like stories than the usual lyrics that repeat.

Mr A got a prescription from the dr for nicotine patches, and inhalers as he wants to give up the fags. So I have to do it too. I can't be puffing away and there's him, dying for a puff smelling it and seeing me sated with nicotine.
God it's been hard! Everytime I've felt like one, I've had to quickly do something to occupy myself. The ashtrays are washed and put away. I've lit a candle under a saucer of lavender oil to refresh the house smellwise.

Mr A is making apple crumble to have after dinner. He smokes (smoked) more than me, so he may find it harder to give up, but then I've smoked for longer.

One thing for sure, we are both going to be grumpy sods, till the craving goes...

Well, it was a wet and windy night, and Mr A and I walked along the country lane in the dark on our way to a party that a neighbour was holding. I wore my wellies, my evening shoes I carried in a Morrisons bag, as it was rough walking, about 2 miles away.

There was a crescent moon shining brightly in the sky and we could see a few stars out between the rain clouds. Visibility was quite poor though.

As we turned off the road onto the lane leading to the house of the party, we both stopped in our tracks. There was the sound of an animal in pain. A mewling sort of noise, whatever it was, it sounded like it needed help.

The torch was directed towards the sound and we ventured off the path and followed the pitiful cries.
"Maybe it's a fox caught in a trap", said Mr A, concern in his voice.
"It sounds in a terrible way," I said, holding my long dress up out of the mud.

We shone the torch on a heap lying beside a bush. It was a penguin wearing a bow tie. It looked as if it had fallen over a broken tree branch and maybe had hurt its leg as it lay sprawled on the ground.

Of course, we had to miss the party and took the penguin to the nearest A and E to see what the problem was with its leg. It couldn't walk, so Mr A carried it to the car and he drove, with me comforting it on the back seat.
I offered it a Penguin chocolate bar, but it didn't seem to want any.

After signing in, we waited 3 hours until the nurse shouted 'The Penguin!' out loud, so we knew it was our turn.
"That's a bump on the leg, this penguin is going to need crutches until it heals." Said the doctor.

"That's ok," I said, "we have some crutches hot from being used by Mr A after he tore his cartilage in his knee."
Mr A's knee had healed well after the operation, and didn't need to use the crutches any more, so we gave them to the penguin.

As he hobbled off into the night, he gave a squawk that sounded grateful and we waved him cheerio. He raised a wing in a farewell salute and carried on to his next mission.

He was working undercover as a spy. We had to sign the Official Secrets Act, so I'm afraid that's all I am allowed to say about the matter.

DINNER
Baked Potato with butter and grated cheddar cheese (mature)
Salad a la Moi
Pickled Gherkins
Boiled Eggs

My old (old as in I've known her for many years, not old as in she is approaching senility,) friend Mary and her partner are visiting for the week from Ireland. We'll be meeting later to eat and chat in a halfway pub from where they are staying. They have bought a farmhouse and land about 11 miles away from us and will be moving in come springtime. They were smallholding market gardners in southern Ireland but felt it was time to move back to 'the old sod' mainly because of building developments where they lived - they were becoming surrounded by bungalows in a previously secluded smallholding.
They prefer to live in a showman's waggon rather than a house. At the moment, they rent out the farmhouse where they live and will probably do the same after they move near here. It's a beautifully kept showmans waggon. They have cut glass etched mirrors on the walls and kept the furnishings as original as possible - like a very posh gypsy waggon/caravan. It is the size of a large caravan and they prefer living in it rather than a house. Where they will be moving to there is a very large house and a clubhouse, along with outbuildings for storeage and animals. They will be moving some of their animals with them, 2 very large carthorses and some rare breed sheep.

When I started this post, I didn't intend to give the ins and outs of their domestic arrangements, I was just going to mention that we were meeting up with some old friends for a meal tonight! I shall try and keep to the kerb, I mean the point!

Later, we are invited to a cocktail party nearby. It'll mean posh frock for me, and best (and only) suit for Mr A. Don't know yet if our friends from Ireland will be coming along after dinner or not yet. I'll probably wear the ruby velvet Jessica Rabbit dress with the heart shaped neckline which last got an airing at a Scarabella gig. It was like finding treasure when I saw it at an Oxfam shop - I had to lose a bit of weight to do the buttons up, but now I can breathe as normal whilst wearing it.
I'm in a rabbiting sort of mood this evening, going into detail is proving quite enjoyable.
I may yet get a Bloscar for the blog with the most inconsequential detail!

It has been a lovely spring day. I had Liberty, my grandaughter, for the afternoon again. We took Rocket (the madforit stick fetching dog) for a walk up a tree lined hill this afternoon. I went out with one dog and came back with 2! I found my neighbours dog wandering up the road so brought him back as he'd done a runner. I only had one lead, so had to attach it to the 2 dogs. My hands were full, holding the hand of a toddler with one, and the other holding a lead that held 2 dogs who didn't like the enforced closeness of each other. Luckily it wasn't that far from home.

Listening to 'The Best of the Eagles.' I love singing along with their songs, such good songs like 'Tequila Sunrise' 'Lying eyes' and 'Take it Easy.' It always brings on a feel good mood when I put their cd on. Mr A isn't a fan, but I catch him singing along in the next room!

Mr A is hobbling along much easier now, able to walk gingerly without crutches, his knee is improving every day.
At the moment, he is thrilled with a computer programme he is using for work. It is a 3D visualisation programme and shows sections and surfaces below the ground that he has been working on - in living colour.
He managed to grout the bathroom this afternoon, and very nice it looks too. Stage 11 will be getting a shower to put in!

I hope some of you have given Juzzy your account of last year to be published soon. It doesn't have to be much, or it can be as long as you like. I just went through last year's diary and managed to pull out a few events which I will email him to be included. I'm looking forward to reading others experiences of the past year.
With the Bloscars looming, I will put some time and thought into my nominations. There are some interesting categories - the one for the most moving blog is one that has been discontinued. Many of you would have read the story of the man who moved from America with a horrific past. His father murdered his whole family and was sent to live with relatives. He moved to England and met the love of his life, who he constantly referred to as she helped him, and is still helping him to recover from his trauma. He wrote so well and dispassionately about his experiences, he has a positive light that shined through all his writings. Anyway, he was advised to write it all down into a book and suddenly he was gone. I suspect he was advised to stop blogging about it because it was going to be published as a book. It was very moving. He got lots of support and advice from fellow bloggers.
There are closets full of caring and kind individual bloggers who rush to help if there is a need on this site.

So, my blog chooms, after rabbiting on at full speed, I will call a halt ("A halt!") shortly, as I need to find a fairy godmother to wave her magic wand to style my hair, turn my rags into a ballgown, smooth out the bags under my eyes, and transform me into a princess for the night.

THURSDAY DINNER
Monkfish in Port and Chilli Sauce
Cucumber Sauteed in butter and Paprika
Basmati Rice
Salad a la Moi

The monkfish, as ever, was divine in a tomato and chilli sauce with a couple of tablespoons of port to beef it up.
I saw a Rick Stein programme about cooking fish and he fried cucumber in butter as an accompanyment, so I gave it a go.
It was nice, took a while to soften up, and still tasted cucumbery, but refreshing and made a change from the usual veg.

FRIDAY DINNER
Chorizo in Tomato Sauce
Organic Spaghetti
Salad a la Moi

Mr A is now down to a walking stick, not using the crutches anymore and able to put walk with both legs... very carefully. He is dying to get outside as he gets fed up being inside too much. He hasn't stopped working, finishing off his last field work report on the computer has kept him busy.

I can't believe all this fuss about the Big Brother housemates, - burning effegies in India of BBC executives, discussing it in parliament! That Goody lot certainly know how to lower the tone.....

I'm feeling quite chipper tonight, I hope you lot are too.

DINNER
Chicken Curry with extra Chilli
Basmati Rice with 2 Cardomoms
Garlic and Coriander Nans
Salad a la Moi

Special thanks to Pataks, for providing the base of the curry with their Tomato and Tamarind Curry Paste.

THE KNEE
Mr A had his operation on saturday, and came out on sunday with a bandage the size of the Eiffel Tower. Today he had the bandage changed for a couple of gauze plasters and managing on just the one crutch. He had the cartledge removed through 3 little holes, so hardly any scar. He is managing to work from home at the computer but is missing the outside badly.

I managed to catch my little finger in the car door today and am now sporting a blackened nail and background throbbing as a reminder of doing something really stupid. I thought it might be broken, but it's not, you could have boiled a kettle of the heat it generated just after I did it!

It's catching up time, I'm afraid the Bloscars have passed me by - last year I got very involved in it all, this year, it's 0/10 for effort.
Had a nice couple of hours with my 2 and a half yr old grandaughter yesterday. I won at playing Jumping Tiddly Frogs, and didn't even have to cheat. She cheated though. The frogs are little plastic shapes with a tail that you flick with a finger and they jump. She hasn't quite got the knack, so she tries to flick them, then lifts them up, into the bucket where you aim to get them into.
As usual, we played hide and seek, with her going to the same place to hide that she always chooses...She insists on calling me Anna instead of Nana, for some reason it makes her laugh.

My 2 other grandaughters visited on Sunday. I had been babysitting Molly's 2 hamsters for the weekend, while she stayed with her dad, who has a cat. They are cute little animals who love exercising on their wheel - especially at night.
She has these large balls to put them in where they go rolling around on the floor. It was so funny to see them careering around, changing direction when they got to an obstruction. Clever little things they are. They managed to survive being here and got taken home sunday night. (unlike the last time I had her hamsters here and one killed the other in a bloodbath worthy of a News of the World headline.)

DINNER

Cauliflower Curry
Basmati Rice with Cardomoms
Salad a la Moi
Garlic and Coriander Nans

Switzerland is off! Mr A has had a bad knee injury and is waiting for a bed in hospital for surgery. It was an old injury which suddenly got painful when he got out of his truck. He can't bend his leg and is using crutches to get around. We can't get refunds for the tickets, but can get the tax back, which is actually a bit more than the cost of the flight.
So yesterday saw us in the local A @ E dept. A long wait, because they didn't print up his name on the card after we signed in, so the nurse didn't know he was waiting. Eventually got up and asked, after 3 and half hours to find out we could have been waiting all night if we hadn't enquired!
He was told to come to fracture clinic this morning and the doctor said he needed to come in asap to be treated. There are no emergency beds, so are waiting to hear when one comes available.

Now, this evening, a senior nurse rang and said there are elective beds available, but he should have had a MRSA swab first. No one mentioned this, if they had, he could have been swabbed and in by tomorrow. As it is, it could be Monday before he gets the swab results. The nurse who rang was really good and also annoyed that this proceedure hadn't been done, especially as the longer it is left, the worse it could be. So, both pis*ed off with people not doing their jobs properly.

It is his birthday tomorrow too.........

DINNER
Morrisons Best Beefburgers, made with Aberdeen Angus Beef with caramalised Onion and Chillies (what will they think of next?)
Oven Chips
Fresh Asparagus with butter

The beefburgers were really good. Not frozen, and made with good ingredients. I always check the meat quantity when I buy sausages, beefburgers etc and get the one with the highest.
I know! Get a life!
This is my life though, food is important. If you don't eat well, then the rest of life won't be as good as it could be.

Another wet windy day in Wales, I can hear the wind blowing outside quite strongly.
Mr A tiled the bathroom yesterday. It is now a vision in deep sky blue and cream. He bought a tile cutter which is brilliant, perfectly cut tiles! I've got some offcuts of this brilliant blue - I want to do something with them 'cos they are so nice. Maybe a mosaic on the garden path....

Thought of a brilliant idea for a story in the middle of the night, didn't write it down 'cos I thought I would remember it. I've forgotten it! All I can remember was the title 'crossed lines.' Something about a misunderstanding that carries on into a drama that has consequences. Wish I could remember it. Ah well, back to the drawing board.

Tickets booked for Switzerland in 10 days time - hurrah!
I still get amazed at what we can do online. I booked, and received the tickets via email - no human contact at all!

LUNCH

Mature Cheddar with:
cress,
sliced vine ripened tomatoes,
chopped sweet red pepper,
diced jalepeno pepper,
cucumber,
black seedless grapes quartered,
ground black pepper and sea salt
my spicy tomato chutney

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present - The Great Avrilo Sandwich!

Menu of the Day will be posted later (or l8r in textspeak.)
Plus news of todays goings on, including another item ticked off my 'to do' list!
Avaunt! I must leap upon my trusty steed, (Polo Genesis) and ride off into the night to embark upon a Spar adventure in the hunt for even more things to eat and drink.
My carriage awaits......

I theng yew....

Thanks to Going Somewhere, I have been tagged to answer 5 questions and then tag 5 other bloggers to do the same. Here's the list and here's the taggerees.....

1. I AM..listening to squeals of delight from an Arsenal fan who is watching them play a winning football match on t.v.
2. I WILL..continue to appreciate those blog chums who keep in touch
3. I WANT..to be successful in my new business venture.
4. I SEE..a future where everyone is environmentally aware of the consequences of their actions
5. I NEED..to be warm

I tag:
topofthestairs
moltsplace
Lifes_Lessons
Purple Dragon
Reiki-girl

So, after running my fingers up and down and round and round this blog site, I've left messages for you all to meet here.
Saturday night at avrilo's place.
There's a cuppa and a digestive biscuit for you if you play your cards right!
Oh alright then! For those that fancy it, a glass of wine and some canapes. There! Happy now?

Here is a story for bloggers with little ones, to read at bedtime. It is also for bloggers of all ages. You don't have to believe in fairies, but it helps.

THE CASE OF THE EXTRA TEETH

Cowslip was a hardworking girl. She used to be a flower fairy, which is why she was called Cowslip. Those pretty yellow flowers shaped like bells had become fewer and fewer until they had all gone from her patch.
She had applied to become a tooth fairy and now, tonight, she had her first task in her new job.

Cowslip had got her instructions and went through the job in her mind to make sure she would get it right.
1. Get tooth from under the pillow.
2. Take it to the fairy bank and change it for a coin.
3. Put coin under pillow without waking child.

Now fairies are all around us, but we can't see them because they move so fast. The only way to see them is if we speeded up or they slowed down.

Meanwhile, a little boy called Marvin had lost one of his front teeth. It fell out into his bowl of cornflakes that very morning. He had felt it was loose and wiggled and wiggled it for the last few days. He was 6 years old, clever and sometimes greedy. He had been told that the Tooth Fairy would leave a coin under his pillow if he placed his tooth there. He had an idea of how he could make some more money.

His Grandmother lived in his house as well, and he knew she had a spare set of false teeth in the bathroom cabinet, he had seen them there before. He thought if he put those under his pillow with his own tooth he would get more money. It was worth a try.

That evening, after his mother had read him a story and kissed him goodnight, he put the false teeth and his own tooth under his pillow. He felt excited and thought he would never go to sleep. After a short while though, he started to yawn, again and again and gently fell into a deep sleep and started to dream.

Cowslip had changed her clothes from her normal yellow to a dark colour so that she wouldn't stand out in the dark. She knew that most people couldn't see her, but some people could. Some people had a sharp eyesight that could catch sight of her. She remembered one time a little girl was walking through her field and stopped to look at the cowslips.
"What pretty yellow flowers," she said to her parents.
"Ooo look! There's a tiny lady with wings and a yellow dress sitting on this flower!" She said, pointing and laughing.
"Oh yes!" Came the voice of an adult, but Cowslip could tell that the adult didn't really see her and just said they could to keep the child happy.

As she flew so fast, she could pass through walls and soon was fluttering near Marvins sleeping head. The only dangerous part of this job was when she lifted the pillow. She had to slow down to lift it, that was the only way she could move things in the big people's world.

She slowed down and drifted onto Marvin's bed, near his pillow. Very gently, she lifted it and crawled underneath, looking for the tooth. What she found was something strange next to Marvin's tooth. It was bigger than a tooth, and shaped like a horseshoe. She dragged it out, put it on the bedside cabinet, then got Marvin's tooth and put it next to it. Because it was dark, she couldn't see it properly. She would not shine any light on it because it was too risky, the light could be seen by humans.

She placed the objects in her sack and speeded up and flew through the wall to the fairy bank, which was nearby, next to a stream. There was a queue at the bank and she had to wait for her turn before she could present the tooth. She thought she would check what the other thing was that she found under the pillow and pulled it out.

"Next!" The goblin behind the counter shouted and she found that she was next and put the things from the sack onto the counter.
"What is that!" Said the goblin in a surprised voice.
She looked and saw that it was a set of false teeth, that seemed to be smiling up at her.

"Erm," she said in a small voice, feeling embarrassed.
"I think this little boy has put false teeth under the pillow along with their own tooth."

"I think you are right," said the goblin, "what do you think he deserves in exchange for it?"
"Oh I think I should put them back, they must belong to a big human, and they would miss them." Said Cowslip, thinking fast.

"This little boy is crafty, he must have thought he would get extra money," she said, an idea starting to form in her mind.
"Can you just swop the real tooth for a coin, and I'll sort out something with the false teeth?" She asked with a smile.
"No problem," said the goblin, smiling back and handing her a 50 pence piece.

She flew back to Marvin's room, and landed gently on his bed, near his pillow. She slowed down, put the coin under the pillow and then moved some things around on the bedside cabinet.
Marvin made some noises in his sleep, and then said, 'what are you doing?'
He seemed half asleep and Cowslip thought that was the best thing, for him to be taught a little lesson.

The next morning started with the sun shining through the window and waking up Marvin, who took a moment to wake up.
He had had an amazing dream. He had seen a fairy dancing in the air, wearing a huge set of false teeth. It was very strange. He thought it must have been because of the false teeth he had put under his pillow.
"Gran's teeth!" He shouted out loud as he lifted the pillow.

There was only a 50 pence piece there. He was a bit disappointed.
As he looked around he noticed his teddy bear looked a bit different, it seemed to be smiling at him.
It WAS smiling at him.
His gran's false teeth were in the teddy bear's mouth.
He reached out and took them and saw that the teddy bear's mouth was shut, so how did the teeth get in there?

He should put his gran's teeth back, he thought, otherwise he might get into trouble.
That's when he remembered his dream, and the fairy, dancing, with the false teeth.

After that, he stopped being greedy and totally believed in fairies.

LUNCH - Not just a sandwich, more like an installation to the senses (pretentious? Moi?)

Avocado, lettuce, creamy goats cheese, cucumber, olive oil dressing, sea salt, ground black pepper. Layered between buttered 2 slices of organic bread.

Energy level 5/10
Enthusiasm level 6/10
Imagination level 8/10
Inspiration level 7/10

With the return later this evening of Mr A from far flung northern terratories, I shall be contemplating Menu of the Day later, before shopping.
Last night, rather than the Paticlan that I thought I might cook, I made chicken soup from the weekends roast with noodles and onions.

Been thinking that I may include some sandwich fillings in the Cook Book, as today's sandwich was rather scrumbumptious.
Do people think some sandwich recipes might go well? With easily obtainable fillings of course.

Finding a life partner who reciprocates unconditional love may be hard, but a great sandwich is a great sandwich.

LAST NIGHT'S DINNER
Chargrilled Vegetable Pizza
Avocado Salad a la Cook Book - Coming soon...

Mr A away this week, cooking for one finds the enthusiasm waning somewhat - so. I bought in a pizza, slapped it onto the cooking tray, bunged it in the oven for the alloted time.

Flourishing my new pizza cutting gadget with great aplomb, I proceeded to transfer pizza to bread board. It wouldn't come off easily. Hmmm? Why not I wondered, this hadn't happened before. So I peek underneath the bit I had managed to lift to discover I had left on the piece of plastic that the pizza had sat on in the packaging.
I managed to scrape it onto the breadboard and proceeded to scratch off the white stringy plastic with a knife, it came off easily enough. Then I ate it. The pizza, not the plastic. Tasted ok, and I am here today, digestion as normal.

Yesterday saw a very lethargic me, (pre pizza) with little energy to do all the jobs that are waiting to be done. When I get in a lethargic state, I don't even feel like blogging, or turning on the computer.
I had an appointment in the afternoon with the Business Eye people to go over my business plan and ideas. Very helpful lady who would point me in the direction of someone else who could help me. This person specialises in innotative business ideas, the lady thought my idea for a business could be in that group, which could possibly offer a grant and some training.
Lots of paperwork to justify the money spent by the Welsh Assembly, and all for free. We will meet next month. The lady was very interested in the blog, and would take a look, I did try and encourage her to start her own, she looked interested, and maybe she will.
I'm always surprised when I meet someone who tells me that they have read my blog, they don't comment though.

Today I am a bit more enthused about doing those little jobs around the house, I will list them for your entertainment:
1. Weed the front garden
2. Chop kindling
3. Last night's washing up
4. Clear up paperwork, lying in piles on my table and desk
5. Post phonebill payment
6. Internet search about flights to Switzerland (going in 2 weeks)
7. Put clean washing away
8. Sweep up leaves around the house
9. Bring in wood for the stoves
10.General tidy up

Now this list isn't in order of importance, and I reckon the internet search about flights to Geneva should come right after this blog.
I don't know yet what I'll cook tonight, but I think it may involve an aubergine, I may well cook one of my own favourites - Paticlan. That's Turkish for aubergine and is a baked aubergine and tomato dish, inspired by the food I had when in Turkey. This recipe will be in the cook book. If you like aubergines, then you'll love this dish.
I will now have a quick visit to friends' blogs and maybe back later...