The Star Book pictures

At last! Worth waiting for I hope. Here are the pics of the starbook I made for BIL for his 60th birthday. Chatterbox reading room papers, aren't they gorgeous? Sorry, I've uploaded them in the wrong order again!!! The front cover is last.

Busy time

Ooooh I've been too busy to come on the computer! It's been really nice - I spend far too much time on here.

Friday I took Mum shopping to Crawley. I bought shoes and trousers, she bought a skirt and trousers. Quite a nice day.

Saturday I went to a crop in Hove. It was fab! It's in a really lovely church hall, easy to find, free parking, but not many people yet. Janet would really like a bout 12 people so we can acrue a little kitty for stash to try on our own, or someone to come in and demonstrate, eg alcohol inks. J did a great job of organising, a 'page of the day' competition, a 'try this' table, and alittle 'crop talk'. We tried out some vellum ideas. It was 7pm before I got home, and buy the time we had walked the dog, and watched telly (we've been watching 'Only Fools on Horses'), it was bedtime!!!

Sat am I took DS to work and then went to sainsbury's to buy stuff for friends coming round today. I took all the recipes from the Sainsbury's magazine - it was brill. I did salmon on a bed of vegetables, potato salad with mango chutney (yum!), a hug salad, and sausages and chicken legs becasue I was worried there wouldn't be enough - in fact there was plenty! They have not long gone home, DH and friend drank rather a lot, and then DH bought more beer out just when C had said she wanted to go home with her youngest DD! A really lovley afternoon, we sat under the tree , and always have great chat. Slightly spoiled for me a the end becasue they stayed so late. But really nice to have DD with us all day.

It's very hot atm. Just going down the beach with the dog.

My second star book

I love the starbook that I have made BIL for his 60th birthday. It is very frustrating though, because blogger doesn't want to show you any photos!! I'll have to try again later.

DD has decided to go on the holiday and miss the volleyball training. It has been a bad few days, where she and I seem to clash the whole time. Right now it's because she thinks she is going out on Sunday afternoon and we have people to lunch. They have younger daughters, who absolutely adore Lucy, so we would like her to be there! (DH is doing his Mr Spock bit, and being totally unemotional about it-accusing me of excalating the argument all the time.)

Anyway there will be another chance at the vb training, later in the year. Even my brother's dd is having second thoughts now!

Off shopping with Mum today to Crawley. She needs a break from dad (and I expect he needs a break from her!!). They are together 24/7, and I think things are a little tense from time to time. I haven't been shopping with Mum on her own for years. I hope it will be OK! Let's see if we can buy her some nice new clothes that both suit and fit!! A tall order these days I find.

Tagged by MJ

1. How old are you? 47

2. How many kids do you have if any?2- Nicholas 17 and Lucy 14

3. Are you married, single, divorced, widow,? married to Maurice for 27 years

4. What is your occupation? Originally I was an accountant, and even had my own clients when Nicholas was a baby. I have been an NCT antenatal teacher, completed a degree in Neuroscience, worked in research at Sussex University, tried to train as a science teacher in a high school (failed!). Now I suppose I am an SAHM, but try to do as much voluntary work as possible, as a school govenor, administration for the Worthing Family Centre, and membership secretary for the Anglo-Italian Family History Society.

5. What are your passions? My family, my dog, scrapbooking, reading, gardening, family history, internet forums.

6. Are you a dreamer or a dream seeker? I think a bit of both. I don't really dream much, but I do try to make things happen that I want.

7. Are you happy with the way you life has turned out? Yes! I am really lucky to have such a fantastic family! Right now, I need more personal challenges, more structure and routine, but I will make that happen in the Autumn.

8. Are you a scrapper and if so how many hours a week do you scrap? I love scrapping! I don't spend as much time on it as I do the computer but I suppose it is about 10 hours per week. That is a complete guess!

9. What do you want to do before you die? Road trip across USA with Maurice on a Harley Davidson! See my grandchildren!

10. What is your favorite food? Sunday roast, especially roast lamb with mint sauce with new potatoes just dug from the garden!

11. What is the food you hate the most? processed packet food

12. What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? I'm sure lots of embarrasing things have happened, but the one that springs to mind is when I was at primary school, we had to take it turns to wash up the teachers cups in the staff room. Me and my friend dared each other to go in the men's toilets! Of course, just as we did a member of staff came in!!!! He made us go and tell our teacher what we had done!! (That was punishment enough I can tell you)

13. What is the happiest day of your life thus far? Can I have more than 1? 2 must be giving birth to my kids, especially as I had always wanted a boy then a girl. And finding out I had got a first for my degree! Happiest moments in my life come when I take Merlin for a walk, he is so exhuberent!

14. Are you a neat freak? Or a dirty house cleaner? A bit in the middle. I used to be more houseproud than I am now. I do like a tidy clean house, but cleaning up dog hairs could be a major daily job!

15. What is the worst thing you have ever done? Gosh, there are loads of things I am not proud of, maybe the way I handle my teenage daughter is the worst thing I do at the moment.


I tag Kym!

Not enough to do!

Everyone is soooo busy atm, except me. Now Spanish lessons have finished I have Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday without any routine. It has to change!!! My 2 best mates who I have coffee with are incredibly busy with jobs and children. We used to meet every Friday, now it's about once a month, and hasn't been for a while now. They are coming here tomorrow for a quick coffee at 1.30, or else we won't be able to meet before the summer hols. It is nice to have time to organise things at will, for example, I like to see Mum and Dad once a week, usually on a Thurs but sometimes Fri, or Wed. This week I'm taking Mum shopping on Friday.

Even my computer forums are really slow atm!

But it should be a really good opportunity to catch up on scrapbooking!! I have loads of ideas about what I want to do, especially now I've finished (?) sorting out the old photos. Number one priority is Robin's star book, which I have to say is coming on really well. I saw some paper in a magazine that I thought would be perfect, and it said it was Chatterbox Reading room. I ordered it, but it's different to the magazine!! Still nice though. I'm using a light olive green and a burnt red colour bazzill for it. The green chalk ink, and red distress ink I have goes really well.

Number 2 and 3 are CJs. Number 4 is Mail Art.

Then I suppose I can think about the other projects. But I have a crop on Saturday. It's the Brighton and Hove crop ressurected, and in a church hall, so I'm hoping it will be good, and there will be lots of people there. I want to try out new things, and hopefully if the crop is a success we can get people to demonstrate new techniques for us. So I think I'll order some garden photos and start the garden album (or CJ).

Highdown, DH's birthday nad dilemma cont'd

I took Merlin up to Highdown this morning, and took my camera. It was quite a murky morning, not sunny at all although quite warm and humid. Here are some of the photos I took.

This is from the 'middle' walk back to the car, looking up at the ring on top of highdown, which was once a medieval fort. I walk round it every time I go up there, and marvel at the sense of history. The grass is really long now, and absolutely full of wild flowers. This is a scabious I think, and look, it's got a bee on it!
This is just the most fab picture of Merlin. It has really captured his lovely expression. I've altered the colour and brightness a bit hope I haven't made it too green! He had a wonderful time this morning running through the long grass. He is always so exhuberent, it is hard to feel down when you are with him!







There are quite a lot of orchids in the long grass, but they are beginning to go over now.



















Today is DH's birthday. He is 51, born the day after Mum and Dad got married! He doesn't really 'do' birthdays, which is a shame, because my family like doing birthdays! One of the many little differences between our families. His mum has however, given him a cheque for £50. (She won't do that for me, or the children!!) I bought him the DVD of The Long Way Round, because we didn't see the tv series, although we both read the book. One thing DH decided to do a few years agao was to buy the children an 'unbirthday' present on his birthday because they are both December birthdays. They have planned for this 'unbirthday' present for months before usually!! This year, DD has had so much she isn't getting a specific present, but DS (and me) would like a new laptop, so we have been campaigning for it for a few weeks! DH is not keen to spend that much money and would rather buy DS something not connected to computers. I'd love a new laptop so I can have it downstairs or out in the summerhouse! We felt we did make a little headway yesterday when we went out for lunch and got DD to back us up as to how useless the old laptop is!! We'll see, watch this space!

The Volleyball dilemma continues - DB and SIL came round yesterday, and want Lucy to go so that we can take thier DD up to Oxford where the vb training is. They go away on the Thursday, so we've said their DD can stay with us until the weekend, and that we'll get her to the airport on the Monday. Our DD is feeling very pressurised now, her cousin really wants her to go so that she has got someone to go with, and is pleading with her quite passionately!! I feel a bit annoyed that they are pressurising my DD so much. (There is always a bit of tesion between me and DB anyway!!). The cousins have vb training at school tonight, so they will be able to talk some more. I've told DD not to make up her mind completely yet, sleep on it for another couple of nights. I'm very tempted to say to DB that we will take his DD to Oxford whether Lucy goes or not - it takes the pressure off Lucy, and enables them to organise the flight for Monday etc.

On a much more happy note - I have booked Merlin in to kennels for a couple of nights while Lucy is in France, and DS is away, and just me and DH are going away for 2 nights. Don't know where yet, probably b&b, devon dorset way on the mototrbike.

Parham garden weekend

I took Mum and Dad to Parham garden weekend today. The weather was absolutely glorious. It is a small stately home nearby, with gorgeous gardens. Today the garden was full of nurseries selling their plants. It was so colourful! This is Mum and Dad standing with some of our purchases.

This is a general picture, and my friend Sarah and her mum are in the back! This was a lovely stand. I particularly liked the yellow kniphofia with the red crocosmia.


And here's what I bought! A reddy ornage echinacea, a really bright orange helenium, a yellow kniphofia and 2 ferns that will grow in my (very) dry shade. I bought Mum and Dad an echinacea too as it is their wedding anniversary tomorrow. (51 years!)

dilemma continued

Well, I felt sick all day yesterday worrying about this. (I really don't have enough to do and think about do I?) I did tell my friend when I dropped DD off. I felt awful, becasue I didn't really have the time to discuss it properly, but I knew she had to be told straight away. It turns out they are not going far from Cherbourg, and it would be possible to book a ferry on the Monday from Portsmouth at 8am. DD has decided that she wants to go on holiday with them and miss the vb training. I think that is the right thing to do, but I'm worried that I'm not taking the vb training seriously enough. My brother's DD has been picked as well, and they are going to Spain on 2nd Aug. They really want ther to do the training, becasue they think it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. (I'm sure there will be other chances!!) At least now having discussed it with my friend I feel better.

DILEMMA

Oh bringing up teenagers is sooooo hard! Not had a very good week with dd (14) this week. She has been out every night which doesn't help, she is stroppy, cheeky, rude, insolent..... (just like me when I was that age!!!)

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, a friend asked me if DD would go on holiday with them to France. They have a DD the same age, and they both get on really well together. I agonised quite a lot, but in the end said yes. They booked the holiday last week for the w/c 5th Aug.

DD got some really exciting news yesterday, she has been picked for an England training camp for volleyball under 14s. YOOHOO! Trouble is she found out late last night that it's the weekend 5/6th Aug. OH NO. She is distraught, I feel really bad about it, don't know what to do. DH thinks we may be able to get her to France on the Monday, but we don't know exactly where in France they are going. I can't talk to my friend today, because she works, I have a govenors meeting at 5pm, and then keep fit. DD is going round there for tea tonight, and tomorrow to get ready for the disco, and then K is coming back here to sleep over.

My thoughts are that it is far too much hassle to get her to France on the Monday. I don't think my friend would have booked the holiday if DD wasn't going - so I think she should go on the holiday.

Why have they waited so late to tell the girls about the training camp? They must know that kids go on holiday in August? If only they had told us last week.......

Watch this space, I am sure it will sort itself out, but I feel very responsible and that I will have to be proactive in getting it sorted. I just don't want the hassle!!!!

walk in the rain

Here is the photo that is missing from my previous post. This is looking inland from the shelter, and across a road.

We woke up to distant thunder at 6am this morning, and a few spots of rain. Our doorbell goes off in thunderstorms, which is very disconcerting if it does so in the middle of the night! I couldn't decide whether to go up to Highdown (and risk being caught in torrential rain- as forecast) or down the beach. I decided down the beach was the safest option. I put shorts and sandals on, and my rain mac! It was warm drizzle - quite bizarre! Merlin and I paddled in the sea, and I ended up really wet - hope people didn't think I'd wet myself!!!

Must get browsing the internet shops!!! I need some paper to make Robin's star book. (I rather like the BG hang 10, or reading room, by I can't remember who, I must look it up.) He is 60 at the end of the month, so I need to get my finger out. I also need to make DH a birthday card (10th July) and Mum and Dad an anniversary card (9th July). DH was actually born the day after mum and dad got married!!

Marine Gardens

Recording everyday things is not something I always remember to do. So I decided to take photos on our early morning walk yesterday of this seafront shelter which is right opposite the entrance to Marine Gardens. It has recently had a replacement roof to make it look Edwardian(?) in style. I think it looks great! Much better than the previous flat roof. The grey bit is fibreglass so should last well against the prevailing sou'westerlies! They replaced all the seating too, with seats with arms, so that the homeless people can't sleep there, which they often did before. Although the other day when I walked past there was a man sleeping with his knees bent up over the arm! Must have been very uncomfortable, but then sleeping on a hard bench can't be wonderful, can it?














Here's my attempt at a couple of 'arty-farty' shots. We have always tried to take these type of photos with very limited success!!













Here is the entrance to Marine Gardens from the seafront. (Can't get this photo to load!) I walk through these gardens most days, they are straight down towards the seafront from our house, about 10 mins walk. There is a bowling green, a cafe and a pitch and putt. I used to go there for a coffee when I was studying and needed a change of scenery. I would take a spaper I was having trouble with and a highlighter, order a mug of coffee, and sit and draw all ove it!!














This photo was taken in the Spring. Now this bed is full of bright geraniums. Not all the beds have been planted with bedding, presumably for water saving. The pond is dry too, but the beds round the pond look great with roses, and big thistles, perennial graniums, alchemilla, and much more.

hot hot hot!

It's been a real scorcher today! We got up early and took Merlin for a long walk to the park and beach. Then we had bacon sarnies and coffee -YUM! I have spent the rest of the day indoors, cos it's too hot outside!! I used to really like hot days, but as I have got older I can't take the heat, it makes me feel ill. I think 24/25 degrees is about perfect. It's been 29 today, and tomorrow is forecast to be 31. I really don't like the hot nights either! It always seems to get humid after a couple of nice days. We are expecting thunderstorms later in the week. So I spent the day crafting. I've finished another CJ entry and some recipe cards for my mail art group. Oh and watched the MotoGP of course! From Donnington Park this week. Pedrosa won, Rossi 2nd, Melandri 3rd. Rossi did extremely well to come from behind, and with a broken wrist! Other sporting news is that David Beckham has resigned as England captain after were defeated yesterday in the quarter finals of the World Cup. They missed 3 penalties! It's quite sad really - I would have loved to see them go further.

We went down to the beach at about 4pm. The tide was high, and I went in for a swim, it was blissful! Cool, small waves, nice and deep with the tide high. M sat on the stones and watched.

We have to drive to Dorking in a mo to get Lucy from her volleyball weekend. Not looking forward to that much!

walking on the beach

The weather is great at the moment! Actually, it's been a bit too hot today, but Thursday and Friday were perfect summer days. It's turned more humid today, and clouds have appeared now (10pm) I wonder if we'll have a storm?

Anyway it's the perfect weather for walking on the beach, and here is a picture of sand between my toes! I love walking bare foot through the little wavelets on the edge of the sea. I have this feeling that the sand is good for the bottom of my feet!

Last night we walked along East Worthing beach, and this is a picture of the pier from the 'other' side. I love the purplish tones to the sky and the sand. Later in the year when the sun sets more in the west, ther are gorgeous sunsets over the pier.

day out to eastbourne

I had just the most wonderful day yesterday. Cynthia invited me over for lunch, and Merlin came too! Cynthia and Mike have 2 dogs, so were happy to have Merlin as well. We had lunch on their gorgeous patio overlooking the fab garden in hot sunshine, and then Mike had to go out. Cynthia and I took the dogs for a walk up the hill almost right outside their front door. The view over Eastbourne was perfect. It really was a perfect summer's day, with a nice breeze once we got up the hill. We had time for a cup of tea when we got back, and then unfortunately it was time to come home!

Cynthia and I met in the first year of our degree in Neuroscience at Sussex University. Unfortunately, Cynthia left after the first term, but we have kept in touch, and see each other once or twice a year. It must be 8 years since we met!! Whenever we meet, we always have loads to say to each other, it's great!

Garden centres

Gosh! This is turning into as much of a gardening blog as a scrapping blog! It's really making me think (for ther first time ever) about what is flowering in my garden through out the year. I have been taking quite a lot of photos lately, and yesterday, I wrote a list of all the flowers out atm. It was suprisingly long!

Anyway, Mum and Dad and I love going to garden centres. I usually see them on a Thursday, and we often go somewhere for lunch. We really like going over to Ditchling, where there are 2 fab gcs in close proximity. One has a piano player in the restaurant! They both have excellent plants, good variety and quality. We love to just wander round and talk about what plants are there. We're not so interested in all the other stuff that gcs sell nowadays, pottery, books (actually, Dad can usually be found by the books).

Today, we went to Shoots on the A24 just north of Worthing. We both bought gazanias, 10 for £1.99! They are quite small, but will grow - I'll feed them well. I also bought lush red petunias to go in my low pot. We like going out that way (another favourite is Old barn, further up the A24) becasue we can drive home along the 'back doubles', little country lanes, and then through Steyning and over Steyning Bowl and down into Sompting. It's quite bleak up there, but you could see a long way today. (Must suggest a dog walk up there). On a clear day you can see Beachy Head one way, and IoW the other!

Beaulieu

We had a fab day out at Beaulieu Motorcycle World yesterday. I took over 70 photos, and can't resist showing you a few of them. These little Hondas are the noisiest bikes. They really scream! This is right at the beginning of the circuit. It was only a small circuit, which included riding round the arena. It was so easy to see everything, and to get really close to everyone and all the bikes.
Here's Sammy Miller and Phil Read, 2 famous riders of the 50s and 60s. Sammy has a motorcycle museum in the New Forest and always takes bikes to meetings like this. Maurice is in total awe of them, and just stands and gazes at them in wonder! His boyhood heroes!!! They must have a great time going to all these country events. They look like really nice blokes, in fact, I was telling my Dad how nice Sammy looks, and he said he met him a couple of times when he was in the motorcycle club in Coventry, and yes, he is a great guy!
Some of the vintage bikes entering the arena. I like this photo becasue of the guy in the front all blurry cos he's going so fast!!!
Phil Read's MV Agusta
Sammy Miller and Phil Read in the arena.
I love the bike at the back. It is an Aerial, and has a beautiful wicker picnic basket on the back! The BSA at the front is ridden by a lady who obviously doesn't like riding fast! (A lady after my own heart)


These 2 pics are the wrong way round. hunky Jason Finn is a trick trail bike rider, and did some fabby stunts includding a stoppy just inches away from his mate Craig's important bits! He then bunny hopped his way around Craig. They both looked absolutely gorgeous in their tight motorcycle outfits, it made my day!!!

EeeeK!

Eeeek! We have mice in the larder. When I went to get a little packet of pretzels (Waitrose low-fat!!) to nibble with my glass of wine last night, they were all open. Lots of little nibble marks ie mice!!! It's not the first time we have had mice in there. Well, I have spent the morning moving everything out, scrubbing it, laying a mouse trap, and putting everything back in. At least it is neat and tidy. One thing I never know what to do with is plastic food containers. I never find one the right size for what I want, and they sit there in a huge untidy pile. I am going to throw them away!!! They are so cheap nowadays, that I can buy more if I ever need any.

DH is watching moto gp, I am on here wondering what to do, the weather is gorgeous. I should go outside but I have a whole pile of ironing to do, and I'd like to do some scrapping.

Spanish

I've been learning Spanish for 3 years at an adult education class. I have been going on a Wednesday 1pm - 3pm, with Maribel as my teacher. Maribel has been a fantastic teacher! She makes the lessons fun, and I have never been bored (which I can get with languages!). This year it has been a particularly great group, I feel as though we have all got on really well! I decided to learn Spanish becasue I know a little bit of German and French (O-level! plus some adult education years ago), but I didn't know any Spanish. After 3 years, I would probably be able to order things in a restaurant or shop, but might have trouble understanding the reply! They talk so quick, and the words seem to meld together into one long mumble.

I decided that I would either give up at the end of this year, or really go for it, and take the GCSE course next year. But I do hate doing homework! I try to fit it in around scrapping and computer. If I did the GCSE I would have to spend a dedicated afternoon or morning to it, but do I want to? Anyway, when Maribel said she was leaving I decided to give up. But then a couple of weeks ago we had Marita, a supply teacher, who was brilliant! Much as I like Maribel, it was exciting to have a different style. So now I don't know what to do......... I quite fancy doing an art course instead, but I'm not sure whether they have the right course for me.

Anyway, we had a fantastic night out last night to a local Spanish restaurant, Capprichio's. We all had tapas, and then coffee. A few had beer, a few had red wine. Of course, I suffered from the rich food, and felt dreadful for a couple of hours this morning, but I made myslef take the dog out, and then felt like toast and coffee. I feel better now, just tired and a bit hazy in the head!

I made Maribel a starbook of Worthing. I loved doing it, I used up all my scraps of Junkitz salsa papers, so it is really bright and zingy! But I felt quite nervous giving it to her, what if she didn't like it? I needn't have worried, becasue she loved it, and so did everyone else in the class! Phew! Here is a pic.

More circle journals

I promised my mail art buddies that I would post this one on my blog. I had trouble uploading photos yesterday, so here goes. This is a scraplift CJ. The owner has included lots of magazine pics for us to scraplift. Each person has to choose the next mag pic to scraplift. I really enjoyed doing this one, getting out all my stamps, stickers, rub-ons, chipboard and there are one or two hand cut!

swaps

I love doing swaps! 2 recent ones were a garden embellishment swap which I hosted and a calendar tag swap. There were some fab things sent in with the garden swap, I was really impressed. I laid them all out on the floor last night and took a photo. There are primas, rub-ons, buttons, ribbons, charms, metal embellies, die cuts, brads, eyelets, stickers. I need to start another project, a garden through the year album. I've taken quite a few photos in May and June, they will have to have 4 pages, Dec and Jan will only have 1 page each! I will use the calendar tags in it I think. We started a calendar tag swap months ago, but the host fell ill, and we didn't hear anything from her for months. Someone else hosted another swap, (becasue some people hadn't sent in their tags,) so I remade my tags for that one. Then the original host sent my tags back to me! So yet another host jumped in, and so I have 2 beautiful sets of calendar tags! It's lovely to see peoples' ideas and work in real life.

My garden in June

Well, I remained fairly well focussed, and did a lot of my list yesterday. I'm going to try and do the mail art this morning before going to lunch with A and S.

I took these pics of my garden yesterday. There is quite a lot of colour at the moment, and the roses have been spectacular this year. The purple clematis is called 'Polish Spirit', so reminds me of my late FIL, who was Polish. It is incredibly abundant, and lasts a very long time! I love it. The gravel path goes all the way round the edge of the garden, (this is the bit we gravelled in half term) then the borders slope down to a sunken lawn. There are steps at each end. These steps look gorgeous coverd in the pink rose petals, but are lethal! They are uneven and very slippery becasue they get gravel on them, and the plants are in the way at the moment, until the rose fades and I can cut it back. I have lots of foxgloves that just reseed themselves wherever each year. I must take a photo like this with drops of water on, I think it will look great!

Lists

I love making lists. It makes me feel really good when I cross things off my list!

Here is my huge long list for today, let's see if I can be focussed and get most of it done:

AIFHS
write to people who have overpaid (4)
banking (means going into Worthing, maybe have coffee, buy a magazine!!)
buy envelopes and send 2 letters from Monday

Garden
plant petunias I bought yesterday
what to do with tomatoes, pepper plants that Mum gave me

Mail art
At the very least, post the ATCs I have already made
catch up on 4 weeks projects!


CJs
finish and post Mj's page
look on wikipedia for ideas for Myths and Legends CJ


Finish Maribels star book

Order dog food (done already!)

Make father's day card
buy father's day presents (DVD of the fastest Indian if it is out yet)

Somerset Lodge, Petworth

Just had to upload these pics of the beautiful garden we went to today. I picked Mum and Dad up at 11.30am, we went to RSPB at Pulborough for lunch, stopped by the craft shop in Wyelvale grden centre (where I spent far too much money considering all I wnated was gold brads!), and then on to the garden at Petworth. WE met Mum and Dad's friends there, and wandered around slowly. When we got to the vegetable garden, the owner started chatting to us, what a lovely man! She does most of the gardening, he does the making of fences, trellis, and all other garden structures. Dad was made up when he let him look in his workshop! Highlights? The vegetable garden, all little tiny plots surrounded by box hedges, and the path lined with old fashioned roses - just the right time of year to see them.

Tuesday evenings

I always feel a bit low on a Tuesday evening. It should be wonderful! I get everyone's tea done early, DS goes to YC and Insight group, DH takes dd dancing and goes to see his mum, and I have all evening to myself, once I've taken Merlin for a walk.

But I can never get motivated to do anything! I'm trying to do a CJ entry tonight. What I really want to do is sit here and chat on the internet! How sad is that. Anyway, I have done some of it, I keep running up and down the stairs for the computer, for the journaling. (Actually it is quotes) I'm going to hand cut a title, and print the rest out on strips of card. Might stamp one of the words.

If there was something good on the telly, I could watch that. But it's only football. WOrld cup.

I don't stop eating either. I keep going to the cupboard for snacks, crisps (they are low fat!), ryvita minis (quite nice but expensive!) or waitrose reduced fat pretzels (really yummy, but in too small a packet, so have to eat at tleast 2 packets!!)

I might go and pour myself a glass of wine, having bought 9 bottles today. And I remembered to put one in the fridge.

Right noone has emailed so I'm going back downstairs to decide what to do handcut title in.

Day out in London

I had to go to London for a training day for the charity I do voluntary work for. What a stinking hot day to have to go!! I caught the 7.50am from West Worthing, not too bad. It wasn't too busy becasue it doesn't get in until after 9am, so I suppose most working people have already gone. Underground to Highbury and Islington, very hot. Then I had to catch a BR train 2 stops to Dalston Kingsland. The train was delayed, so I was late for my training day. Only 15 mins, but I think that was the most relevant 15 mins of the whole day to me!

HQ is not too bad, and the room was quite nice, but far too hot, even with 3 fans. There were lots of people aquashed in which made it hotter. The training was not really relevant to me as a volunteer (eg trade union membership!), but some of it was quite interesting. The other people on the course were really nice, friendly and welcoming, something that must go through the whole of the charity!

Journey home was a bit of a nightmare. UNderground was hotter than ever, and very crowded. I panicked a bit at one point, wondering how I was going to get out of the train as people stood all along the carriage. I waited 1 hour on a hot Victoria station when I realised too late that I could have caught an earlier train to Haywards Heath and changed for Worthing GRRR!

By the time I got home I felt light headed, nauseous (from the motion in the new trains), and incredibly over heated. I got off at Worthing and walked, just to get off the train!

It was incredibly nice to get under a cool shower, and drink a glass of wine. By then, I fancied something to eat, so heated up a WW meal from the freezer. N and L were out, DH was on a conference call, so I had time to relax and chill out.

WE took Merlin for a walk along the beach, and then sat in the conservatory with a bottle of wine. LOVELY!! N came in and sat and chatted to us, which was great. L had a friend to stay, but did come and talk for a bit.

Circle Journals

My Favourite Photo CJ front cover


My entry in Pets CJ belongs to Hollybo UKS


My entry in Beach CJ belongs to Ellsese UKS






My entry in My favourite place CJ belongs to Ladyscrap UKS

My Favourite place CJ belongs to Ladyscrap UKS

I love CJs!! I love scrapping on the small pages, experimenting with different ideas and techniques and seeing other people's work in the flesh.

My first Cj has not long returned to me. It was with UKs and the theme was My Favourite Photo. The work in it is fabulous, and I keep looking at it again and again.

I've not long joined another UKS CJ, this time my theme is Family. Stupidly, I forgot to take a photo of it before I sent it on.

My next CJ is with my team on UKS, the Scrapettes. We are sending each other pages rather than the whole CJ, to save on postage and stop loosing any in the post. Trouble is, we don't get to see anyone else's work in the flesh! My theme this time is 'Garden'

My next CJ is with UK stampers. I am a bit nervous about this one, cos I don't think I'm very good at stamping - I'm still a bit messy. Might have to practise alot!! But, having said that, I am so looking forward to seeing everyone else's work and learning some new techniques. My theme is colours.

hobbies

I've always dabbled in hobbies.

I've done photography, including my own B&W developing, and an advanced photography evening class (full of older men who knew exactly what they were doing!! Me, I was lucky if I loaded the film in properly!) where we had a beautiful model to photograph. We have always kept nice albums, usually one per year, but special holidays have merited their own with a bit more writing and memorabelia.

I've kept diaries in the past, and dabbled with the idea of writing. I enjoy getting to grips with a subject and writing about it as per essays at university.

I've dabbled in sewing. It's along time since I made anything to wear (Probably a baby dress for Lucy!) But I always make my own curtains, and recently have started using the sewing machine for LOs.

I've cross stitched. About the time I had DS and DD, cross stitch was very popular among my friends so I amde lots of cross stitch baby cards, Christmas cards, and samplers. I always prefeered the 'heritage' or 'vintage' look to the 'cute' look. Just recently when I was ill with flu, I caught up on an old project, and Elizabeth Bradley cushion 'Auricula'. It is absolutely gorgeous. The colours are divine, and there are lots of subtle shades. That's why it has taken me so long! It is a winter project though. I have now finished the pattern, and am beginning to stitch the black background. I must have bought it about 10 years ago!

I dabble with my garden. When we lived on the sea front, I spent alot of time researching what would grow in the salty air, and planted the front garden accordingly. When I drive past now, I can see my planting has matured nicely despite the sea winds. Since moving here I have not made the time for gardening. We have ahuge garden here that is quite overwhelming. It was very overgrown when we got here, and it's only now that we are beginning to get it under control. Each time I go out there I am overwhelmed with the enormity of the things that need doing, and consequently can't start anything! I need to break it down into small chunks, and when I do that, I manage to get something done. I love visiting gardens, especially the RHS garden at Wisley, which I managed to get DH to last week. I really want to visit Christopher Lloyd's garden in Kent, and Sissinghurst, and some of the NT houses down in the West Country.

Family History has become a big hobby lately. I volunteered to be part of the committee of the AIFHS, and have done treasurer and now membership. I love being part of the group, and doing the admin side of things. I like the fact I have streamlined the m/s process, kept the letters and emails up to date, and am simplifying for later years. Trouble is, it does take time from researching my own family history. I have found out a lot about the Fumagallis , since Giovanni (paternal GGgrandfathercame to England in the 1870s. I have tried to come forward from him, with quite a bit of success. Recently another of his descendants joined the society so more present day Fumagallis. I have also researched quite a bit on the Vanstone side (maternal grandfather), and have found a huge amount by contacting others on the internet. And I love researching WW1 and grandad's experiences. I recently started a heritage album (combining 2 hobbies) of Grandad with his photos from the early 1900s.

I love to read. I try and read each night in bed for 30 mins or so. I chat with others on the internet to get ideas about what to read, and have read some fab books lately. Some of the Richard and Judy books have been good. I'm currently reading 'A Short History of Tractors in the Ukranian' by Maria Lewyckya. It is absolutley hilariuos!! But that could be becasue I knew an East European old man (FIL), who was Polish, but had the same turn of phrase as the old man in the book. Makes me read it out loud to DH (much to his annoyance if he is trying to read too), and laugh out loud!

I always come on here thinking I'll just write a little bit and spend ages, and write ahuge long missive! Who on earth would want to read it? So i will leave my biggest and best hobby to another time -SCRAPBOOKING.

week off work

Dh had last week off work as holiday. It was the kids half term holiday. Actually, we didn't do anything with them all week! But we are pleased because we got some jobs done.

DH and DS put down gravel on the path, a job that has been waiting to be done since last summer, when we put down the old carpets to stop the weeds growing through. It looks fab now! But it ha made the other side look a bit thin, so we really need another load of gravel to top dress the other side and the back.

Another job was painting the kitchen. We had a new floor put down earlier in the year, and we weren't too sure whether the yellow really went with it. Also, they don't so that yellow anymore, and there was only 1 coat on the wall where the boiler was replaced. So we decided to go pale cream, and it looks fab too!

I also took DS out shopping for new clothes, 3 new pairs of trousers, new trainers new pants and socks. He likes to have the same as he had before, not a man who likes change!

We had our day out on the bike. DH had to take the BMW in to the garage in Guidford for some tweaking, so we went to Wisley for the day, and then on to Guildford cathedral. Very nice until we got to the garage and they hadn't done all the work M wanted doing. So we waited in the ****** garage for 1 hour for his 'man' to come and explain!!! We took N and L out for a meal to 'La Difference', a place we used to like going to 20 years ago. WEll, the food was OK, and very cheap, but it was like walking into your granny's front room, and full of old people!!! Not quite your hip, cool and innit place teenagers like.

And we saw MIL for her birthday, and my mum and dad on Monday.

All in all a great week!!!

(But..... I am pleased to be back to normal now, spending time on here catching up and doing my housework and AIFHS stuff!! Boy, I am a person who likes routine really!)