Where does time go?

Sshh..... can you hear that?

No, me neither..... no howling wind, no tree tapped window, no clattering of sleet or rain or hail on the glass, not tick tack of bouncing leaves down the back street.

It is still, calm, and apart from the usual morning village sounds .... quiet.

And breathe.

Thank you my fellow photo hunters, a lovely selection of stories and pictures as ever, there is a new list so get your thinking caps on and camera ready :)

♥.•:¨¨:•.♥.•::•.♥.•:¨¨*:•.♥ ♥.•:¨¨:•.♥.•::•.♥.•:¨¨*:•.♥

Today ... 22 years ago ... I was in a hospital bed wondering what the hell to do next. I had (at that particular moment) a (finally) sleeping baby in a different ward and was surrounded by various other woman at some stage of shock or recovery all having had given birth sometime over the previous 24 hours.

I was probably the oldest in the ward yet not old. The girl next to me was already 'up and at 'em' and packing to leave.... having only had her fourth (yes you read correctly) three hours before and had to get home so her husband could get off to work......... she looked about 20, lean and tanned in a pale grey fashion track suit. Quick slap of lippy and she was gone, looking as if she'd just had a large dinner rather than just given birth.

Me? I felt like I had gone through the mangle and had landed in a heap on the floor.

But that was a long time ago - one of those lengths of time that goes like a flash yet feels like a previous life time - how does that work?

Fast forward to today - that baby is now 22, a beautiful young man with a wonderful girlfriend.

Makes all the nappies, the teething dribbles, the baby burps, the milk spews, the sleepless nights, the grazed knees, the belly aches, the homework, the continuously grown out of school trousers, the constant dislike of tomatoes all fade into ....... a gentle stained glass window of memories.

Happy birthday my dear Eldest - may today be the start of an amazing year of adventures for you (and your girl)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx