Yes, I'm so Happy! 2012

[emma T]

I won 2 out of my 4 foil fencing matches , not bad for some one whos only been fencing 6 weeks  i am well chuffed .

[Maggi Young]

Crumbs, Emma, that was a good result - talk about jumping in at the deep end....... oh, sorry, wrong sport.... but you know what I mean......

[Paddy Tobin]

Well,, Maggi, as long as she doesn't jump on her own sword it is fine. Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

We went up to Howick, a lovely little village with a Saturday market, lots of coffee shops and art and gift shops. In one I saw a plaque that read: "money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you chocolate, which is sort of the same".

[Maggi Young]

We went up to Howick, a lovely little village with a Saturday market, lots of coffee shops and art and gift shops. In one I saw a plaque that read: "money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you chocolate, which is sort of the same".

One of life's Great Truths, Anthony!

[Anthony Darby]

I must admit you were in my thoughts when I read that, says he reaching for a handful of M & Ms that were packed into my Kindle box.

[emma T]

Just want to say THANK YOU TO Maggi  You are a star


also i am happy because my French bulldog Eavis won his class at LKA Dog show yesterday , best hes ever done at a show. We are all getting steak for tea as a treat.

[Maggi Young]

Well done Eavis! Your little furry Star, Emma!
 Steak all round for tea is definitely called for  - Lily agrees for sure!

[Anthony Darby]

Well done. The best kind of Christmas present.

[emma T]

well i enjoyed my steak, the doglets steak  didnt even touch the sides as they ate it  Im sure they  enjoyed it in their own way 

[Darren]

Whilst there is little that could make me actually happy at this time of year, the edge has at least been taken off the grumpiness by a parcel that just arrived.

The only plant book I regret not buying when it was published was Charles Craib's 'Geophytic Pelargoniums'. Published in 2001 with a limited print run it is now rare as hen's teeth with second-hand copies fetching high prices when available. Talking to David Tatttersfield this summer he expressed the same regret.

To my astonishment (and his) Keith Larkin of Keith's Plant Books recently managed to find several NEW copies from a South African source and has listed them at a reasonable price. My copy has just arrived 

And when I got to work this morning an 'anonymous colleague' had left a bar of chocolate for me on my desk. Given that there is only one person who currently has a reason to think she owes me a favour, knows I'm a chocoholic and was working over the weekend, it was not that anonymous.  That's one young lady who knows the way (or one of them at least) to this old bloke's heart 

And a previous favour to another colleague was repaid with a bottle of single malt last week 

So I'm off to the gym shortly in the hope of sweating out this uncharacteristic episode of seasonal cheer before everyone thinks I've cracked up.
 

[fermi de Sousa]

Oh,you're an evil man, Darren! Now I've seen another book site I shouldn't look at!
http://www.keithsplantbooks.co.uk/?books=G
 
cheers
fermi

[arillady]

Yes Fermi I have ordered from Keith's Plant Books before and the service is good plus there is plenty to entice with their newsletter.

[Darren]

Oh,you're an evil man, Darren! Now I've seen another book site I shouldn't look at!
http://www.keithsplantbooks.co.uk/?books=G
 
cheers
fermi

I know - he has a great selection of South African books especially - and at good prices. I just bought the Genus Lachenalia from him for significantly less than Amazon were selling it.

[Anthony Darby]

I followed a car with the number plate "TARDIS" today (Kiwi number plates are up to 6 digits - any number or letter. Sometimes writing above and/or below make funny reading e.g. My kids think IMNATM. One of my friends has ALOALO). I think I will have to find a set of book shelves that has that method of storage: bigger on the inside; smaller on the outside. I have long ago run out of space. I daren't look at another book catalogue!