Drains!

One of those days! My kitchen sink blocked up yesterday, and last night DH had a look, but couldn't fix it. So I phoned the drain unblockers about 8.15am. They said they would phone back in a bout half an hour to tell me when they could come. I said I'm just going out with the dog, please leave a message, and I'll make sure I'm in when you come. When I got home, they hadn't phoned.

Meanwhile, the telegraph pole with our phone line on it was being replaced, and a man came and knocked on the door to tell us that the phone would be off most of the day. So I thought, I'd better phone the drain people and tell them they won't be able to reach me on the house phone. (But I needed to quickly download my emails first!) So I found my mobile phone - no credit!! (It hardly ever runs out of credit cos I hardly ever use it!) Luckily, DS's phone was handy and had charge and credit, so I phoned drain people who said they'd come late morning, and phoned Family Centre to tell them I wouldn't be in this morning! PHEW!!!

Not having the internet working was so liberating!!! DS and I sorted his bedroom, I did the ironing, sorted out my clothes, and my bedside cabinet.

Drain people came and cleared the blockage in about 5 mins, but I happened to mention that the drain outside gets blocked up sometimes, so they had a look at that for me, and cleaned the whole thing from washing machine right down to the street. It was very yucky! I so hope that is the end of bad smells around the kitchen!

Just spent ages trying to find some nice Asian papers for Sid's CJ. I've decided to do it more scrapbooking, as I have some fab photos from Hong Kong 20-odd years ago. I found some gorgeous antique style papers on one site, but I couldn't find anything else I wanted to buy, so it would have cost £2.95 P&P for 90p worth of purchases! I've found some chinese character paper, and coin charms, and the same site has cut'n'dry, which I've been looking for for a while. I've played with my photos in photoshop, but can't really remember how to do it, think I need to go on another course (I did one this time last year). Also bought some Paper Artsy stamps from UKScrappers marketplace (asian and wings) so I will make some stamped embellies for my page. Looking forward to it!

random musings

Actually, not so random, it's a bout Christianity. DH and I went to church last night. DS has been going to church for a couple of years now, and plays his clarinet in the church music group. His social life revolves around the church, variuos youth groups, and there is a small 'gang' who meet up at each other's houses for DVD evenings. Anyway, last night the Bishop was talking becasue one of the parish vicars was celebrating 40 years in the job. DS wanted us to go as it was a special service. Well, it was a lot longer than I thought. I had anticipated about 45 mins, but it was 1.1/2 hours!! The church is lovely, old stone, a bit victorian I suppose. I think the vicar is very nice too, and the Bishop is bonkers, and very entertaining. But Christianity? I can't get there. I cannot accept God into my life, or believe that Jesus gave up his life to save our sins. I find the enthusiasm of the congregation a bit daunting, I mean when they are singing they raise their arms to let God in, and dance and generally enjoy themselves!! I felt like a real outsider. DH and I watched 'Walk the Line' the film about Johnny Cash recently. Thre is a scene where his first wife is at a concert sitting po faced while all around her are clapping and singing. I felt like her! In a way, I wish I could let God in, because the people at that church all seem so happy, and are having a great time.

Other random thoughts about it:

The Bishop spent 30 minutes (at least) talking to us about one tiny paragraph in the bible. What a HUGE amount the bible can teach us!

It must be very hard to be married to a vicar. He has been handpicked by God, and his first love and responsibility is to God, not his family.

I am too shy to sing because I am soooo out of tune. I can hear everyone around me , and don't want them to hear me!



Other thoughts. Dad has only got to have one zap of radiotherapy so am taking him to Brighton this afternoon. I am hoping he doesn't feel ill! He didn't feel too good on friday while we were there, but once he had been seen, and had the good news of only one zap, he perked up quite a bit. He's had a very hard time on this load of Chemotherapy. He has felt quite poorly at times, and is finding it very hard to walk now. I just hope that when he goes to his consultant next week, they don't decide he needs some more!!!

I walked Merlin up at Highdonw this morning, and saw Carly and her 2 springers. I hardly ever see anyone I know up there these days, so it was nice to have a chat. And i found out the t the man I always used to meet with Barney is called Chris!

Garden weekend

Here's some photos of my garden today. It's looking really good because we had a whole morning of rain last Friday, and it rained last night. The soil looks that lovely dark colour, and is so easy to dig!

We've spent the weekend gardening. DH has been scrubbing the drive, adn I've been cutting hedges, and generally making the front garden tidy.

This afternoon I did all the edges round the back lawn, a whole load of weeding, and raked my gravel paths, clearing one of them of leaves and rotten apples!

12 x 12

These are my first 12 x 12 LOs for a while. I've been doing 8 x 8 (garden album) and CJs! I think my first love is 12 x 12 really. I do like doing 8 x 8 and of course CJs, but there is nothing quite so good as all that space, and scrapping for me!!!

These 2 Los are challenges set by our team on UKScrappers, the Scrapettes. They are alos the start of my 2006 album. I am really loving using these K&Co papers, Scrap Pad to Go, Citrus. I didn't think they were my colours, but the more I use them, the more I love them. There are lots of coordinating bits too, stickers, alphas, die cuts. Takes the pain out of s/bing!!

I'm just waiting for a friend to arrive for coffee, and then this afternoon I have to take Mum and Dad to Brighton for a hospital appointment. Dad has to have radiotherapy on his leg, and this is the first appointment. We are expecting to have to go over every day next week. Luckily, I don't start my cleaning job util the week after, when I'm just goin in for a few hours to meet the old cleaner, and handover. (I popped in yesterday, and was asked to choose a colour for the new bin in the kitchen,LOL!)

One more snippet! I said to Nicholas and maurice, do you want the good news or the bad news? They both wanted the good news which was 'It's on the lawn!'. The bad news - 'Merlin(the dog) has been sick' LOL LOL!

This is my absolutely fabulous FAMILY CJ that arrived back home yesterday! It was the 'Eager Beavers 2006' on UKScrappers, very ably managed by Rachel (ldnkiwiscrapper). Thanks rachel, I know it's been a bit tough at times keeping us to deadline!

This is my entry. Looking at it now I think WOW, did I really do that? My style was so much better then! I was into my heritage album at the time, and I do love those old script papers.









This is Charlotte's (butterfly) entry. I love the little folder which opens out to show journaling about what her family means to her













This is Jane's (Janeycutting) entry. I love the little tags in stitched vellum hidey holes, and the gold metal letters!















This photo doesn't really do Laura's entry justice. The jigsaw pieces are copper coloured (painted?), and the pieces that come out to reveal the photos are textured. WOW!















Tracie's (ellsese) entry is fab. I just love those papers (BG?) And she has made a gorgeous little book for journalling, held together with a piece of frayed fabric, scrummy!















Suzanne's entry has the best photo! I love the way they are all cuddling up together! Wow Suzanne, you have a big family!














Alison's pages are such lovely colours, I always go for autumny colours! I love the 'stitching' round the edge, it really sets off the LO, and the quotes are so right!















This is Rachel's (ldnkiwiscrapper) entry. It is so simple, yet sooooo effective. I love the swirly stamp.















And finally, Helen's page (helenpp). It is so bright and fresh! I love the ribbons and fibres! And the little pockets for the photos!
















Here's the last page, the sign in page! Thanks girls, I will really treasure this CJ. I'm sure it's something I will keep coming back to for ideas and inspiration!

Here are a couple of photos of my not-so-brilliant entry in Claire's CJ. I got 'CJ fright'!!! I was so worried I would do it wrong, that whatever I did I wouldn't like! I do like the background though - trouble is all my CJ entries are similar backgrounds! It's distress inks swooshed on with sponges, starting with old paper, scattered staw, worn lipstick and lastly peeled paint. What I'm not so happy with are the clocks, which I stamped on another peice of paper and stuck on. They are not very well cut out. Stamps are from the free pack from Artistic Stamper that I got when I subscribed to 'Simply Stamping' (clock and saying), a freebie from Paper Artsy(clock with wings), gold wings are German scrap. I also like the idea of 'tempus fugit', and clocks with wings. It certainly seems to speed up as I get older!

Wings CJ entry

I left this rather too much to the last minute, mainly cos I was scared stiff about doing it!! This CJ is Claire's, and is a tin! It is absolutely gorgeous. We each have a file folder to decorate, anything goes so long as there are wings on it!

I'm really worried that my entry isn't very good :(:( I did rush it a bit in the end to get it posted today, cos I so hate posting late in CJs. Also, I probably wouldn't get any more time to do it for the next few days so if not posted today it wouldn't get posted till the end of the week.

Unfortunately ****** Blogger won't let me upload photos at the mo. I'll be back later.

I'm off to Scrappers paradise crop in Crawley (Three Bridges to be exact). I think I'll be an expert at crops soon! I've just printed out some photos in 7 x 5 to take with me. I'm going to use the K & Co scrap pad I got free with my subscription to SI. I love it more and more the more I use it.

Michelle's birthday

Here's the card I made for my niece's 17th birthday. The colours haven't come out at all well! The papers are from the free Scrapbook to Go kit (K & Co) that came free when I subscribed to Scrapbook Inspirations. The idea came from the box lid decoration I made at the crop yesterday. The present is a lush little Benefit makeup set.

The 'party' happens every year. All my brother and SIL's families are invited to a birthday tea. What can I say? I usually don't want to go, SIL's family are so different to ours, loud and brash! Tonight we sat and listened to a 16 year old calling her mother 'Jools'. Sorry that isn't my kind of talk, no respect, man! And there is usually not enough food! And everyone has to have a turn at blowing out the candles on the birthday cake (well, not so much now they are older!) Oh well, hopefully we won't have to do it much longer.

More cropping!

I've been doing quite a lot of scrapping this week. I finished off my LOs I started last week at the crops, made a star book for Mum and Dad with the photos of me and my brother when we were little, and have been to another crop today! Today was at heene Road community centre, a 5 minute bike ride away. Luckily I don't have to take anything to this crop because Deb provides it all. We covered a shoe box, and it looks very pretty! Deb is taking beginners, and showing them the techniques and tools required for scrapping. Many of them have been going for several months and have not started albums yet. Oh how I wish I'd found Deb before I found Creative Memories! I really feel now that I wasted a lot of money, time and effort in CM. I don't like my 'Family' album that is CM style. Never mind eh! I feel that I have taught myself the techniques, mainly through UKScrappers and UKStampers and magazines. Although I have doen the techniques before, it is quite nice to be shown properly, and I'm sure there a re some tips I can pick up. There were about 10 of us today, so lots of different ideas in the melting pot too. The only problem now is that she want s to start them on an album now, a 'Book of Me', which I have already started in my own style. Hmmmm, I'd like something a bit more in between, where you can join a class and make something if you want, or do your own thing if you don't fancy that particular class.

Holiday to New York is nearly booked! M phoned today, and got a fairly decent quote, but we decided to go for a better hotel, so we are now waiting to hear if we can get into the Hilton in Times Square! It's on the 21st floor, so we'll get a good view! We have reserved flights for the Tuesday in half term, coming back overnight on the Sunday, which pleases DD cos it means a day off school! (on the Monday). We have to stay overnight on a Saturday to get the good prices.

Should I take this job?

I've been offered a job! The cleaner at the family centre has resigned, and I jokingly said, I'll come and do it! Well, we talked about it a bit, and I am very tempted. It's 15 hours per week out of office hours. I would have to do 3 hours early in the morning, becasue there is no way I could do 5pm - 8pm what with tea and dog walking with DH!

Advantages
It's a place I know
It's just round the corner
It gives me the rest of the day to do what I like, eg coffee, lunch dates
Can easily work around the dog

Disadvantages
It's soooo early!!! (I'm not good first thing in the morning)
Do I really want to be a CLEANER? (me with my Neuroscience degree!!!!)

I'm mostly tempted because it would fit in with everything, and I could earn some money for more stash!! Having just bought my QK machine with 1 alphabet, I desperately need more!!!! My monthly budget I've set at the moment is £100, and I am so easily going over each month. Just lately I have bought the QK (from the marketplace on UKS) and then spent £40 at Jillybeans, will be spending £23.50 on Saturday (cost of ginger-pickles class, to include all stash), and I still have a wish list as long as your arm! (Oh and I bought 2 distress inks at the Worthing Stamp Show, that's another £10!).

One other thing, Spanish classes on Wednesday afternoon have been cancelled, not enough people! OH no! Now what shall I do about that? For the time being, I am going to go with Barbara and Joy, 2 ladies I've met over the summer who are haivng a private conversation lesson with a Spanish lady called Paloma. At least it will keep up my Spanish, and I won't forget it all! Barbara and Joy are writing diaries in Spanish. Maybe I'll write a sentance each time I write in my blog:

Ahora, hace calor. Manana, pasee mi perro a la playa. Bueno!

(I don't know how to add in accnets and the squiggle over the n! I'll have to find out, but right now, I am going to keep fit in Lancing!)

cropping!

What a fab weekend I've had, cropping, cropping and more cropping, and a stamp show!!

There was a stamp show in Worthing on Saturday. I thought it would be very small, and take just a few mins to walk round. I was going to pop in on my way to B/H crop, but DH had to take his bike wheel in, so he came with me! He said he was interested, I reckon he just wanted to keep tabs on my spending!!! The show was really good, about 16 exhibitors, and not all cutesy-pie stamps! Lots of distress inks and alcohol inks, yummy. I bought 2 new colours of distress inks.

Brighton and Hove crop on Saturday was OK. The hall is really nice, but it is big, so 5 of us rattle around a bit really. J who organises it says she has had lots of enquiries, but noone new came this month. Why aren't there any scrapbookers in Brighton? I did some more of my garden album. I wasn't very pleased with what I've done really, so might mess with them a bit more before uploading photos. I started a LO in my 'Book of Me' about hairstyles, which I finished on Sunday - quite pleased with that one. By the time it got to 5pm, I had a headache, and felt pretty bad, but managed to stay to help put the chairs and tables away. I wondered how I would cope at another crop on Sunday!

Jillybeans crop on Sunday was fab! What a great place she has! It only took 1 hour to get there. Really nice people, really welcoming, the cropshop is stuffed full of gorgeous stash, and Jill made us lunch which we ate outside in her lovely garden. I was far more inspired at this crop. When I've been to a few more, I'll known what it is that makes a good crop! I think it really helps to get along with the other people cropping, chatting and laughing ALL the time - no awkward silences please!

I spent a bit of money that I can't really afford, because I've bought the QK recently! I bought Oh Baby Boy collection, a JB kit that contains scrummy Crate papers, some daisy D's western style papers (for my next star book!), and a few sheets of Bazzill that I used. How WONDERFUL it was to just get up and walk 2 steps to the HUGE rack of Bazzill to choose the colour that EXACTLY matched!

Cleaning

Oh my god! My house was sooo smelly and dirty! There has been a sort of rubbish/bad drain smell in the kitchen for a few days, so now everything has had a really good clean, and it all smells nice and fresh again, that is until the dog gets wet and shakes all over the place! I think the smell came from the washing machine mostly. I must remember to wipe out the grey seal a bit more often.

Well, I cleaned and scrubbed and disinfected nearly all day yesterday. I had a break at lunchtime and took DS and friend for lunch at Shoreham Airport. The terminal building is very 1930s in style, and is often used in old films. Just small planes use Shoreham, and it's great to sit and watch the planes land and take off with the downs and Lancing College in the background (I should have taken my camera!)

When I was telling DH what I'd done, I said I've done everything except.... and then reeled off a whole load of rooms still to do! Both children's bedrooms, lounge, downstairs loo, dining/scrapbooking room!

I didn't do any today. Me and DS walked the dog up at Highdown. The weather was so perfect you could easily make out the Spinnaker Tower at Portsmouth! Then dog to vets for injection, home for an hour (did tidy up my scrap stash a bit), then took Mum and Dad out for lunch at Pulborough. Of course we ended up at the garden centre with the craft section, didn' we? Previously, I've spent far too much money there, but today, just a pack of red and pink PM card, and a reel of double sided tape, very restrained. Mum bought some pretty papers and she's going to have a go at making an accordian book like mine. Home to meet DD and take her trainer shopping ( a good day, no arguments) , home again to cook tea, eat tea, half an hour scrapping, half an hour on here, and now I'm off to my Rosemary Conley class. PHEW!!! (Might have a glass of wine later - DH and I are trying not to drink every day, so we've not had any since Sunday. We're trying to only drink at weekends. Makes us sound like a couple of old soaks, doesn't it? We're not that bad, I usually only have 1 maybe 2 glasses each day, DH usually has a bit more.)

Really nice thing today - the weather, warm but fresh, great for dog walking, and driving up to Pulborough.

Who'd have teenagers?

I think it's time for a little rant about my teenagers!! DS isn't too bad really, except that he has sat all day in front of the TV with his friend on a 'Battlestar Gallactica' marathon! I think they are both a bit fed up now, some 10 hours after it started!

DD is not so easy. Sleepovers are getting out of hand! She had 4 girls sleep over last Friday, and slept over with a friend last night. She was told to be back at 4pm becasue of school tomorrow, but wanted me to go and get her from the other side of town at 4pm, and then into Worthing to buy new trainers!!! I don't finish work (my voluntary job) until 4, and by the time I would be over the other side of town, it would be nearly 5. She has dancing tonight (6.30pm) so needs to fed and ready by 6ish. 2 of her friends were coming here at 5.30!! So there really wasn't time to go and get her, feed her, do all the things needed for school tomorrow and be ready in time!! She slammed the phone down on me!! HOW RUDE!!! In the end though she did get a lift home and was home about 4.30, just as I was going to go and get her. And to her enormous credit, she doesn't bear grudges, she just forgets and gets on with it. (Much better than me- I am still seething, some 4 hours later!!) She is just so grumpy on days after she has slept over (no sleep), and won't admit it. We try to limit sleepovers, but it seems that noone else does. It was her friends mum's 50th birthday yesterday, I wouldn't have a DD friend sleep over at my house on my birthday!! And this same friend is sleeping over somewhere else tonight, when it's school tomorrow!!

Rant over, enough of this.

Something nice that happened today - I started my huge clean up of the house, and cleaned the kitchen cupboards, well the fronts anyway, and the worktops. Tomorrow the floor, and a huge tidy and clean up round the rest of the house.

Pictures from New forest

Pictures from Goodwood

The rest of the week off

I keep thinking about what to write in here, and never actually getting round to writing it! Here's a quick resume of last week which Maurice took as holiday (I've already done the BH weekend)

Tuesday
We did loads of jobs in the morning, car booked in for MOT, trousers to dry-cleaners, shoes shopping for DD (didn't get any!), garage door fixed. We were well pleased with ourselves! In the afternoon we took Mum and Dad out to the lovely little tea room at Wiston for a cream tea. It's a lovely little cottage in the countryside behind Worthing, and has a little 'farmyard' with ducks, geese, goats, hens, etc, and a little stream running through the garden. And they do fab scones!! In the evening we took DS and DD out to celebrate their results (DD got a level 6 in English which suprised noone more than herself!!) we went to a little Italian in Worthing town centre, very nice!


Wednesday
I spent the day at the family Centre helping with children's party and then clearing up from that in time for a grownups party (Pimms and scones) to celelbrate 10 years. It was great! DH spent the day with his mum and took her out for a pub lunch.


Thursday
We all went out together! We loaded up the bikes onto the car and drove down to Burley in the New Forest and cycled along the forest tracks. It was great! We all really enjoyed it, and Merlin was absolutely fab running along beside us the whole time, not at all getting in our way. We cycled about 12 miles in all. It was a bit undulating, and quite gravely in places. I only had to get off and push once up a steep hill! We drove down to Barton-on -Sea for fish and chips on the cliff top, but by then it was cold and quite breezy! Lovley view from BoS though, across to Christchurch and Swanage to the west, and IoW to the east.

Friday
Maurice and I went to Goodwood revival. It's a 1950s and 60s event at Goodwood race track. We went on the bike, so no queueing and we can park right by the entrance! Easy get away too. The day was fab, loads of people were dressed up in period gear, most women had gorgeousd flouncy 1950s style dresses. Luckily the weather was good most of the day (it wasn't for the rest of the weekend). We saw a bit of racing, looked around the pits, and the stalls, shops, saw a race getting ready (including Stirling Moss being push started that didn't work!), and then some more racing from a different part of the circuit. We were both trying to get photos of the cars by panning, Maurice was far better at it than me! His camera is tons better than mine, I think I might have to have a better one for Christmas. We left about 4.30 so we could oggle the cars in the car park!! There was a special car park for pre 1963 cars, which we had to walk through to get to the bike. Loads of Jaguars, Austin Healeys, MGs, generally just great cars, and all in gorgeous condition. I was absolutely knackered when we got home, and vegged in front of the tv all evening. Lucy had 4 friends to sleep over,but they were well behaved, and very quiet.

All in all we feel as though we've had a great summer, even though we haven't been away. But, we are planning to go away in October to New York, which is quite exciting, and something to look forward to before Christmas.