This is my 50th Green Donkey blog, so quite a cause for celebration, on my part at least. My first blog was published on the 5th November last year, so almost one a week.
Still no closer with writing my cookery book.  Remember, this blog was about all the creative things I am doing that are stopping me writing it.  But, I am thinking about writing it a lot more.

Last Thursday saw me and Mr Cooper visiting Guildford, but only the NHS aspects of Guildford.  Luckily, after having been laid low for a week, I was well enought to take Mr Cooper for his 'procedure', as these things are called now.  All went well, and more of that later on.

Happily, he was well enough for me to leave him for a while on Sunday, when I went to see my first ever hedge-laying competition.  Sounds a very strange thing to opt to watch, but it was a fascinating and restful experience, and it wasn't raining!  A bit like fishing really, things happen very slowly.

I was there because my son John was competing in the novice section.

There were about 20 hedge-layers taking part, all laying a section of a beautiful mixed hedgerow.
 I saw the most amazing fuschia coloured flowers nestled in the hedge, looking so tropical, and almost un-English with its shocking pink and vibrant orange colour combination.
 Euonymus europaeus, or 'spindle' is what I was looking at, and here it is, below.

The colour combination reminded me of Mr Cooper's brightest shirt.

Last week I was talking about my drawing that had been accepted by
The Stride Open Art Competition.
 Here it is pictured below, to the right of the artist.
It is entitled  'Pieces From My Life, Last Year.'

And here it is again, a little larger.  Last week I was talking about the part of the jigsaw that featured the chefs at Woodfire, including son Sam, chopping away in between the other 2 chefs. This week, look at the jigsaw piece below Sam, showing an anatomical drawing within a couple holding hands. 

 Last year Mr Cooper was  diagnosed as having a very slow growing form of prostate cancer, and months were spent not quite knowing the outcome of this discovery.  That formed one important section of my life last year, and this year. 

So that part of the drawing is a cross section of a prostate gland, the hands being held are those of 

me and Mr Cooper.

Last Thursday, as a result of 'the procedure', Mr Cooper's prostate became implanted with 75
tiny radioactive beads,  so much so that when he flies now, he has to have a covering letter.
 When x-rayed as it looks as if he has an explosive device nestling in his under-crackers! ( Something that I discovered for the first time many years ago now)
So now Mr Cooper is not 'Feeling too clever' but he should be fine next Thursday when we head to The Greyhound to dine and to stay overnight, as part of my birthday celebrations.  The week after that I have to return to The Greyhound to resume washing up for those who are lunching and dining, so it will be lovely to enjoy the life as a guest for a few hours.


This week I had a rare days outing with son John, who wanted to go to Finkley Down Farm Park.
It has been a very long time since we were last there together.
Here is John perched on a tractor, after an intensive chicken feeding session, 23 years ago.

So after having bought a bucket of animal feed, we were let loose on the animals.
 First stop, the brown fuzzy-faced sheep.  A very gentle nibbler.
 Totally unlike the male turkey who drew blood!  I don't think many small children feed him.

As a cat lover, I was very happy with the animals there…………...

And John, with his love of rabbits, was happy also.

There were no animals there on Tuesday which had been there 23 years ago,

but all the tractors were still there.

Luckily john decided to sit on the seat this time, not stand, or we might have been asked to leave.
We were the only mother and son combination there where the son kept stopping for a smoke.

Next week, another 'Creative Writing for Gourmets' workshop.  Our focus this time will be 'vegetables', and Mr Cooper kindly said I could write about him.
Also, my last week of enforced rest, before I can start to earn money again.
And last but not least, birthday celebrations!

 I know you have to 'take the rough with the smooth', but I am so looking forward to a couple of days of smooth!
 And in the coming week I hope your roughs are not too raspy, and your smooths are 'just right'.
See you in a weeks time, I will be the one looking a whole year older.