JOE'S CHRISTMAS - WONKA'S CHRISTMAS ADVENT COUNTDOWN

****DAY ONE OF WONKA'S CHRISTMAS ADVENT********

FEATURING EXCERPTS FROM JOE'S CHRISTMAS BY
Madeleine Masterson who is my very best Owner in the entire known universe. XXXXX

To introduce this daily December Advent I shall provide little snapshots of the main characters for you, beginning with little Joe.

" Joe climbed onto Neddy and started to rock backwards and forwards with his small arms reaching round Neddy's long neck.   the old beige cord rocking horse sported a red spotty handkerchief and was positioned by the large sash cord window in Joe's bedroom.  The view was a good one giving way to a busy street and facing onto the terraced houses opposite.  With a great expanse of sky above, it was always a changing scene and tonight it showed a full moon and glittering stars. "

 

 

Chapter one, Joe's Christmas - Page 1

Illustrations by Madeleine Masterson

'Neddy Rocking Horse and little Joe'

 

The full story is in three parts and is available to read on smashwords.com as a Wonka Presents! story. 

 

There will another extract tomorrow!! Big Love Wonka XX

*****Tomorrow is December!! ****

HOWDY UP FOLKS and just a little reminder that my special Christmas Advent begins tomorrow!!! Owner is allowed to contribute (I know.X) and as you know it will be singing the praises of our story Joe's Christmas with glory illustrations too!!

So do follow us for the Christmas Countdown and enjoy this story whatever you believe in, we can all wish on a star!! XX

There it is!! the glass paperweight with the Christmas tree inside it - shake it and the snow moves and wait - there is a star on the top falling falling....................XX #JoesChristmas smashwords.com

 

See You  All Tomorrow big love Wonka XX

 

A little Breakaway X

THANK GOODNESS WONKA WE THOUGHT (ALL OF US READERS ALRIGHT ONE OR TWO) - WHERE IS WONKA??
folks, you guessed it, whilst Owner sped off courtesy of some funny old trains to see her Cousin Liz, well I had my paws full quite frankly keeping a check on warbling and trilling Squeak who thinks she is a bird and Ruggles who thinks he is an old lion.  ME? thanks for asking, Je Suis un chat.  End of.XX

There we are!! Tis Liz's garden which is full of beauty trees and wotnot and there is the Robin!  Folks I would not have minded seeing that for myself!! Owner had a lovely two day break and as soon as she came home, a whirlwind of activity folks - I had a giant cuddle and then got back on with it.  I know X

Now we are cuddling up to December folks and as you know Owner and me we do like our advents - owner is thinking of doing a Joe's Christmas advent as it is a proper Christmas tale with Neddy Rocker and little Joe - let's face it folks, Christmas is a time for dwelling on wishes and stars that do wishes and such like.  Look out for our advent which Owner has promised will begin on Satdee.

AND, she has had a little revelation to do it on here and SHARE it.  YES I will still be bringing you bits of gossip and the very latest hints and tips on what to watch over the festival.  If ZULU is on Owner will cling to that and if ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE IS ON we will be sitting on the telly watching that too.  Owner says she is getting lots of special treats in (I favour the felix seaside ones and Ruggles he does dreamies.  As for Squeak it eats anything.X)and we can all stave off worrywarts for a short while and enter the land of imagination.XX

 

 

Talking of Imagination, it is the Strictly Musical week this Satdee and here is a flashback to the 2016 show!! It had beloved Gene Wilder and his song on it from Willy Wonka and the Choc factory!!! As you all know that is where my name is from and I couldn't be more proud folks.....XX

 

 

This is a short and sweet treat from my good self mid week folks and we are preparing for the weekend and the start of December!! Also folks, Owner is doing her third Art Fair and has droned to me that if no one Personne buys anything she is ending her foray into the craft stall world.  She has done a reccy of the venue and says it is perfect - there is even a bar (I know and I did say please don't give them all the profits ifen there are any as we need them back here.....she may not have heard me above going on about PARKING and LOADING. X)

 

 

Got to dash, floors to lay on, cats to check on and lots of zzzzzzzzz in between!! Big Love Wonka XX

 



Out Of KILTER X

NOT YOU SURELY WONKA YOU ARE A ROCK, A SOLDIER, THE ONE CONSTANT STEERING THE SHIP.
folks, it is alright, OF COURSE it is not me...ME? thanks for asking and sometimes I do question how I keep going when all around me are hissing (da Ruggles - but to be fair he was having a couple of large clumps of matted fur de matted.  Don't ask SSSSSSS) yes hissing, growling (Ruggles again) or batting me round the head with a feather light paw (da pip Squeak X I love it of course I do, and folks you want to watch out as love creeps up unexpectedly and bish bosh there it is) yes, so I have been busy washing and playing with it and trying to get a few well earned zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz in between all of that.

 

There we are!! Mickey Mouser!! Yes, Owner has insisted I pop a famous mouse on here as he is celebrating 90 years of Walt Disney famerooni.  It is also one of Owner's mumsteds prints, so she is showing off (again folks.X) - I did say to Owner, I said blimey 90 years it won't be too long before...........but it was alright folks as a) she wasn't listening and b) I said it from my secret hidey at the top of the house.XX

 

Yes Owner has been out of kilter and that means my work cut out trying to sort her out.  This means reminding her of the glass full when she will drone on about the empty bit. I thought she did well to get half a day's work at that skool she likes, but OH NO, she must concentrate on why she is not getting work at the college that she likes.  To be fair folks I do think an entire month between Owner completing a near perfect application and shooting it back to them overnight and then hearing nothing - might be stretching it.  Plus when she did ring them up and speak to a person in AITCH ARE (HR folks..........X) for them to say they could not hear her (three times) and hang up - I spose Owner was justified in being sarcastic, nasty (about the AITCH ARE person) and wanting to dash down there and tell her what for........... NO she did not do this!! Not to worry Owner I said to her when she fell back in from her friend's (hopefully still is.x) it will all come right!! goodness knows where I get my sunny nature from folks but it does come in!!

meanwhile Tresa Grey persists in hanging onto her job, preaching sermons from rostrums and answering complicated questions with just a few well chosen words - alright she did use the same set of words for nearly all the questions BUT folks, they cannot shift this woman, and one of the people we can thank for this is Jezzer down on his allotment tending to his runners or wotnot - possibly he reads draft bills down there and in between cups of tea (dandelion we are thinking) ruminates on important matters like what the people eat for their tea now, or for that matter what he is having for his.  We do hope that when his good wife tramps up the garden to ask him, he doesn't reply: 'I don't know.'  There are other pollyticians doing things like resigning and going on about letters of no confidence but me and Owner think the real plotters are doing this in secret...........Donwald the Tramp I mean Trump is still saying doing and going where he likes when and who with.  No one PERSONNE seems capable of tripping him up for now BUT every dog has his day and we think his is over bar the counting.XX

 

 

There they are!! From Blackpool Strictly folks which was topping it is Joe Sugg and Dianne and folks - it was Daddy Long Legs, Fred Astair and Ginger it really was - a dark horse can still win this thing!! XX

 

In the world of the telly, Owner has clung to all the old faves and has rejected anything classy like the Little Drummer Girl and the Informer which all are raving about.  NO she is instead on a full diet of reality shows with Strictly leading the pack and somehow the Hex Factor is still in with a shout or SONG with a lorra lorra warbling.  Masterchef is back on too, with Marcus Scaring and Monica PLUS beloved Gregg (soon to be Daddy Gregg!!X)  In Corrie there are some good storylines and some silly nay ridiculous ones that could have Owner shouting if I don't distract her.  Abi is in prison ALL BECAUSE Tracee did not own up and say IT WAS ME - Owner loves this storyline and says it is Authentic.  I mean.  Carling Black eyebrows is holding court at the factory with all under her beady eye and Nick is declaring luv for Leeane whilst all the time he is still married to frozen Elsa.  And thingy who murdered the drug dealer STILL hasn't thrown himself into the police station.  The jail is a bit overcrowded though with Abi and Sally and so on.  I have tried to suggest other programmes to Owner that are all about nature and educational and that but she will not have it and is even now looking forward to falling I mean dancing on ice come the new year.  I mean.XX

 

folks it has been a very up and down week with mood settings falling faster that said skaters on that ice show, BUT with me at the helm, playing nicely with Squeak (when Owner is looking.x) things could pick up next week - there are Christmas fairs to look forward to and what with the aged being settled in her new home AND not asking questions to Owner that send her nerves rocketing (are you still working? how old are you? how is the girl (daughter of Owner) OOH a bracket within a bracket!!! exiting or what!!)XX

 

Have yourselves a peace loving folks, which means smoothing down that fur, preening your whiskers because you are the Cat's Whiskers!! big Love Wonka XX



 

 

 



Lest We Forget XX

WONKA IS THAT A REFERENCE TO THE WAR TO END ALL WARS??? Folks, it is.  And just for this week in honour of it being 100 years since those guns fell silent on the Western Front and beyond, Owner is taking over AND I am not saying a word.  neither is Big Ruggles and neither is that Pip Squeak - they are both well and resemble Grumpy and Happy of the seven dwarves.  ME?  I am Doc for now.XX

(Over to Owner.....XX)

Here follows an excerpt from my Grandad's own words, which form part of his autobiography written in October 1990, when he was 89 - Edward Abraham Perry was born in Haverhill Suffolk in 1901 - the piece of his own writing I want to share is his account of his brother Percy:
"April 1915. Then came the War years, England declared war on Germany in August 1914, then named the first World War, which lasted until November 1918, and many homes were saddened by the death of loved ones. My second eldest brother Percy joined the 5th Suffolk REGT., in November 1914 and was sent to France in March 1915 and soon after I left School, we had the sad news that Percy was posted Missing, presumed Killed in Action. This was a great blow to Mother and Dad, as being missing, there was always the hope he might still be alive, but as the war dragged on this wasn't to be and his name is on one of the great memorials in Belgium (reader, it is on the Menin Gate in Ypres) - "
Grandad had another brother William who also joined up and who did as he puts it " went through to the end of the war" - Grandad says this is because he was not part of the "Front Line" (Western Front).
Wanted to share this as it is living history and in the words of someone who experienced two World Wars - in the second, Grandad was part of the Home Guard brought to life for us by 'Dad's Army.' thanks for reading this, and as you do, remembering all those like Percy, who was 23 years old when he died, at the battle of St Julien, Ypres, 24.4.1915.
There is Percy proudly standing in uniform, and next to this is my Grandad, who played in the local band (where he would meet my Grandma at one of the town hall dances!!) . Grandad is second on the left. Percy was my Great Uncle and I will be silent for him and my other Great Uncle, George Arthur Smith, on mum's side tomorrow at the 11th hour 11.11.2018 XX

 

 There we are folks up top is Owner's Grandad, and below his beloved bruv Percy.  I am going to share (Yes me Wonka), the photo of George Arthur Smith who died in April 1918 we think on the Western Front and is buried at the great War Grave Cemetery Etaples in France.

 

There he is!! His sister Madeleine is Owner's Grandma and who she is named after too - George's father also served in the Great War as did his older brother Bernie - they both survived.X

 

And so folks, tomorrow alongside millions of other folk all around the good globe We Will Remember Them!

 

Big love and back soon, Wonka XXX



Great Expectations X

WONKA do you meant the book written by that rather intriguing man Charles Dickens?  Which featured the boy PIP who lived with his feisty Sister  Mrs Joe Gargery and of course the wonderful Joe himself, married to said Sister.
In a word NON!! I don't mean any of them but now you've mentioned it, it does happen to be Owner's fave Dickens story and she once (I did worry over it at the time...x) tweeted the entire story - NOT WORD FOR WORD WONKA SURELY???!!!! - no NO!! folks I managed to stop that madness at the keyboard BUT she chose CHOICE bits of each chapter and on it went AND that was when twittering and tweeting was limited to 140 characters!!!

 

There we are!! Mrs Joe on the ram-page as Mr Dickens succinctly (GASP at my choice of word.X) puts it.And folks there was much much more as Owner really did love Pip and dearest Joe.

 

 

BUT I DIGRESS.  Have you swallowed or eaten or somethinged a dictionary Wonka you all shout at me fed up to the back fangs with all these fancy words  and folks - I will try hard to keep it simple now.  When I spoke of Great Expectations I merely meant it is good to have them because sometimes JUST sometimes those miracles do happen and life deals you a winning hand.

 

HAS SOMETHING HAPPENED WONKA??  folks just let me tell you Owner who as you all know is ever on the cusp of deep debt, has been lifted up by said miracle and we can all carry on eating drinking and using the facilities without fear of hammering the credit card into oblivion. I know.X

 

I haven't mentioned little pip Squeak who is even now batting me with her paws and trying to get me up and playing back!! Owner droned to me that from the second she rose up this morning and I mean the kitten not Owner - that she has been nothing but mischief.  It pulled down a curtain shielding Owner from horrid neighbours and carried on speeding up and down stairs whilst me and Rug were hoping for a well earned nap.  It has slightly calmed down and we all have highish hopes for a quiet night aside from the bombs I mean fireworks going on and shattering the peace.X

 

There we are some more from the wonderful Pip and Joe for you, and the famous HOUT when Joe takes Pip on his first visit to Miss Havisham.X  And remember folks, this was where Pip thought his great expectations came from but did they??  you must read it to find out as it is not always the obvious -which is why they are so great!  X

 

Now pollytics folks has gone straight to the moon on an orange stroke blue rinse rocket with donwald the trump calling refugees a danger to his country and fairly well downgrading the good old US of A even further if that is possible and it seems it is whilst back in this tiny isle which is shrinking by the minute we have suspicious bizness folks who gave millions to silly old brexit on toast well where did the pound notes really come from eh EH??? and Jezzer was last seen with a hard hat on riding his bike at top speed away from annoying interviewers and their questions...Tresa Grey may or may not have been brokering the last pesky five percent of that deal and as for the others................if they have any sense, all down the pub. End of.XX

 

 

IS the aged coping in her new home Wonka you are all ears and bristling fur to know - folks when Owner last visited she reports all is well and she even had a compliment.  she didn't ask how old I was or why I hadn't visited in the last 24 hours either, Owner droned to me and folks I did say surely that is a blessing these visits which are spread out.....................  and just to finish off here, there is one last illustration done by Owner's fair hand of another more famous Aged.X

 

There we are!!  The Aged, from Great Expectations.....XX

 

Now have we been watching anything exciting on the telly and the answer folks is NO NOT REALLY.  Owner tried to watch the little drummer girl or boy or wotnot and could not take to it calling it TOO STYLISH for me Wonka.  This is translated as Owner did not like the story, did not like the actors did not like the filming of it end of.  BUT we clung to Strictly Halloween and the even more spooky Hex Factor where that strange boy band is still in and some singers are voted out.  In corrie world the one who murdered the drugs baron what was after the entire family and had a gun in his glove puppet I mean pocket and bled to death after he took the stake out of his leg in the burned out car wreck - well he wants to confess to the police (quite right too shouts Owner at the telly.x) but his mother thingy michelle who is married to thingy chef she says not to.  SHINAID has told Daniel about the cancer and is now on chemo but lying about her next appointment.  I can feel a strong response from Owner akin to how she felt about Stacee (enders) everytime she popped up on the screen.  it is called annoyance and impatience all rolled into one and bordering on more shouting at the telly to JUST GET ON WITH IT.  The Apprentice is choc full of annoying people including Lord Sugah and his sidekicks.  But we love it anyway.XX

 

So last week tottered by with Owner giving out sweets to the children dressed up as spooks and ghouls whilst I peered down the stairs at them and little pip Squeak was confined to its bedroom.  Ruggles was fast over on his cushion and knew nothing about it.  I know.XX  YES those billy fireworks are going off but the decision was made to zzzzzzzzzzz through most of it and so far this is working.  ONE DAY THEY WILL SEE SENSE AND MAKE THEM SILENT OR JUST BAN THE LOT OF THEM went Owner but folks as long as there is money to be made............XX

 

so last week has ended on a high note for this household and perhaps it should be renamed unexpected expectations!! You should all rush out and make a wish on the new moon just like Owner does with a little 5p piece in her pocket.  And whilst she is in such a bonny mood which means folks that I get spoilt rotten (she gave me such a hug to celebrate the good news that our finances were rescued I did say steady on Owner I feel a bit claustrophobic but she couldn't hear me above squashing me.X) - yes me and alright rug and Pipsqueak will be alright now as the song goes.  have the week of your lives folks and as for that far away dream??  pull it up close and live it to the best of your furry fur!! Big Love Wonka XX