Month: January 2015

Bargains – Boots Discount Codes | 50% off | boots.com & Debenhams Discount Code | 70% off & MandMDirect Discount Code | 85% off | mandmdirect.com & Expedia Sale | 40% off | expedia.co.uk & Last Minute Holidays Abroad | from £139pp | lastminute.com & Designer Bags Sale | mybag.com

I dread to think what the wind chill was at Minnis Bay…it was COLD! It read 3 degrees in the car but the wind made it freezing. Ellie still went in the sea. It still amazes me that she never wanted to go in the Med!

Back home and we packed bags. Mal is leaving for Cyprus tomorrow, to check the house and do some gardening. I opted not to go this time. I used to love flying but I have done it so often, the novelty wore off long ago! Mal will probably achieve more without me being there and also we haven’t really sorted out Ellie. Rhys and Lou suggested they have her one night to see if all was OK with her and their dog Roddie. So, we dropped Ellie off at their house and then drove to Torin’s for the night. The three of us went to Raj Bengal for our dinner. The restaurant is quite near to Torin’s house, so he knows all the waiters and often pops in late at night for the “staff curry”. Nice staff and very good food.

Scarlet and Jack had been out to a pantomime and so it was very late when they came home.

Mal and Torin sat up until the early hours chatting.

Thought for the Day – “If what you are following is the path to your dreams, commit yourself to it. Don’t leave the back door open with excuses: “this still isn’t quite what I wanted.” This sentence – heard so often – contains the seed of defeat.” ~ Paulo Coelho

Bargains – Sainsburys Deals | £15 off Code For First Order & Wallis Discount Code | 60% off | wallis.co.uk & Debenhams Flowers Discount Code | Bunch of Flowers | £5 off & Bargain Crazy Discount Code | 90% off | bargaincrazy.com &Thomas Cook Discount Code | 40% off | thomascook.com & Brantano Voucher Code | 50% off | brantano.co.uk

It was Zero degrees when we arrived at Minnis Bay and Ellie still went in the sea! Even if the tide is out she finds the rock pools.

I think the birds are hungry in this cold weather, today the feral parakeets were having a good feed.

I went shopping and have to say the supermarkets are really having a battle in the UK.I went to Waitrose and so much was half price, including fresh chickens.
Later I had an appointment with my old vet George. My last Golden Retriever was his first client when he moved to Minster all those years ago and he remembered me. He now has two Eagle Vets surgeries, so has done very well. He did in fact let me have some prescription only medicine that I was unable to get in the TRNC, for Rosie. Ellie was pronounced very healthy and the nurse is sorting out the registration for her microchip.

Thought for the Day – “To live without risk is to risk not living.” ~ Pope Pius XII

Bargains – Kwik Fit MOT | Book Online | 10% off | kwik-fit.com & Zavvi Voucher Codes | 10% off | zavvi.com & WH Smiths Books | 75% off | whsmith.co.uk & Dorothy Perkins Voucher Code | 60% off | dorothyperkins.com & I Want One Of Those Discount Code | Daily Deals 80% off & Bon Marche Sale | 50% off | bonmarche.co.uk

We went to Botany Bay first thing and Ellie was fascinated by the sea gulls which were really high up.

Mal and I decided to go into Canterbury and have our lunch out. We had a good wander around. I love Canterbury and used to work there.

We had lunch at Chapmans Fish Restaurant. Very good it was too. We chose the Fish Rondue for two (Cook your own fish!)

 

 

Thought for the Day – “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” ~ Anne Frank

Bargains – PetsPyjamas Discount Code | 15% off | petspyjamas.com & Hotels.com Discount Code | 50% off | hotels.com &MandMDirect Discount Code | 85% off | mandmdirect.com & Hobbycraft Discount Code | 50% off | hobbycraft.co.uk & Wallis Discount Code | 60% off | wallis.co.uk & Bhs Discount Code | 60% off | Free Delivery | bhs.co.uk

We were at the beach at 8am and there was a bit of a snow shower. The beach was covered in  thousands of mussels  and Ellie likes the smell of mussels!

It was Rhys’s day off so Lou and Rhys came over and I cooked roast beef with all the trimmings. It’s nice being able to see them so often.

I watched Winter Watch in the evening. Part of it was from just along the coast here, Deal and also Pegwell Bay. We are lucky having this all on our doorstep.

Thought for the Day – “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” ~ Maya Angelou

Bargains – Debenhams Discount Code | 70% off & Allbeauty Discount Code | 80% off | allbeauty.com & MyProtein Discount Code | 20% off | myprotein.com & Maplin Voucher | £10 off | maplin.co.uk & Buyagift Discount | 50% off | buyagift.co.uk & Cheap Carp Fishing Tackle | dragoncarpdirect.com

It was minus 3 degrees as we drove to Minnis Bay and Ellie still ran in the sea. She has got to know a lot of the dogs down there. It’s surprising in that temperature and early in the morning there are still as many dog walkers. Back home and we cleaned the car out as we had to take it back to Hertz in Dover. A bit silly really as we were hiring another from them but we had to return one and collect another.  We now have a custard coloured car, at least we will be able to spot it in the car parks!

It snowed on the way to Dover!!!!!

Hertz office is down by the docks which was a little unfortunate as they had “operation stack” going on along the road we needed to get down. This is due to the delays on the tunnel we were told. Lots of Police controlling it.

In the evening we decided to have fish and chips, so went to our favourite, Seabell’s In Birchington. We didn’t find out until tonight that it is owned by a Turkish Cypriot who used to work for Ali and Teresa in Sandwich, what a small world!  Of course now Teresa and Ali live in Karsiyaka.

I watched “Winter Watch” in the evening and they had some little owls on the programme. Well, every time it looked at the camera, Ellie just sat and growled at it, obviously something to do with the eyes. It was really funny.

Thought for the Day – “Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realise that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge. ” ~ Eckhart Tolle

Bargains – Allbeauty Discount Code | 80% off | allbeauty.com & Argos Kitchen Electrical Sale | 50% off | argos.co.uk &Amazon Local Deals and Amazon Local Vouchers & Cheap Carp Fishing Tackle | dragoncarpdirect.com & Bhs Discount Code | 60% off | Free Delivery | bhs.co.uk & Saga Holidays Cruises | £800 off | saga.co.uk

We left home when it was still slightly dark. It was cold at Minnis Bay but as usual Ellie was straight into the water!

As I have mentioned before the beach is covered in beautiful oyster shells and this morning here were the Oyster Catchers……

Later, I went shopping, firstly to take a Dorma towel back to Dunelm where the thread has worn thin and I only bought it before Christmas. They told me it has been reduced so as I didn’t have a receipt, they would only give me the reduced price. I told them I did click and collect, so check their records. They said they couldn’t do that so I asked for the Manager. She gave me a credit note for a full refund.

Next to Tesco where I had bought some rather smart wellies, just before Christmas, which LEAK!! Only the left one but I think you buy wellies to be able to keep your feet dry. I explained to the girl on the clothing counter and I said I will just have another pair….”no you can’t we don’t have any left. I will have to give you a credit note as you don’t have your receipt.” Well, if you buy footwear and they fit why keep your receipt? I will in future. Mal and I have decided to have one of those spikes and put all our receipts on it from now on. However, the girl then looked the price up on the till and said £6. Well, I paid more than that for them, so I told her. She said that was all I was getting!! I told her surely she could look up the pre Christmas price and check my clubcard…..”No!” I refused the £6 and walked away with the boots. Before I left the store I asked for their customer service telephone number. For anyone who may need it in the future……0800 505 555. I phoned them in the afternoon. I described the wellies, yes he had the pre Christmas price and would add a couple of pounds extra to make it up to £20 and would be sending me a money voucher. He also asked which store had refused to give me the full price and not bother looking up a club card! Nice man. He apologised profusely. I guess most people would have just had the £6 or just dumped the boots. Not me. Know your rights!

Thought for the Day – “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” ~ Vicki Corona

Bargains – PetsPyjamas Discount Code | 15% off | petspyjamas.com & Argos Kitchen Electrical Sale | 50% off | argos.co.uk & Buyagift Discount | 50% off | buyagift.co.uk & Wallis Discount Code | 65% off | wallis.co.uk &Cheap Carp Fishing Tackle | dragoncarpdirect.com & The Hut Discount Code | 70% off | thehut.com

Mal planned to go to his allotment but it was raining, so not the best day. Instead we took Ellie to Minnis Bay. That wasn’t very successful as the tide was right in leaving about half inch of beach, not that that bothered Ellie! Then along the green at the top masses of people were joining in a run to Reculver, so it was all packed with people.

I think any dog owner knows this one………..

A good result for the Hammers game we watched in the afternoon.
Thought for the Day – “At every moment of our lives, we all have one foot in a fairy tale and the other in the abyss.” ~ Paulo Coelho