some photos from our tip to Sherborne

Mottisfont Abbey near Romsey, Hampshire




















Shaftesbury




















Sherborne Abbey
















The church at West Camel


















The red sports cars at the Haynes Motor Museum

A few days away

Stoneleigh Barn B&B

We have had the most wonderful few days away. As the kids are both away (DD in France, DS at Soul Survivor) and we managed to get Merlin in kennels for 2 nights, we decided to go away on the bike. It's been a very long time since we actually went away on the bike, and quite a few years since we've been away on our own too.

We decided to go to Sherborne, and look for some family history stuff. My G grandfather was born there, and his father and mother lived there. On our way down we stopped at Mottisfont Abbey near Romsey. We had lunch, and a good look round the house, and then a wander round the gardens, sadly not looking their best! The famous bit is the walled garden with it's old-fashioned rose collection, which of course is well over now, but everywhere is so dry! Must make a mental note to go back there next June for the roses. We stopped at Shaftesbury for afternoon tea, and found a wonderful tea shop! Very modern, wonderful tea, and what a beautiful town!

On Thursday morning, we wandered round Sherborne, and visited the Somerset and Dorset FHS Headquarters. We found out that gg grandfather was married in Sherborne Abbey. He worked as a silk throwster in the silk factory, which is still there, and we found out that the silk factory went into decline in the 1880s about the time ggrandfather moved to Birmingham. I also took some photos of the streets where they lived.

We stayed in a fab B&B http://www.stoneleighbarn.com/ Penny and Kevin are fabulous hosts, and have worked very hard to make the B&B very comfortable. Apart from visiting Sherborne (Thursday morning), we motored down to Lulworth Cove, had a cream tea in the rather lovely cafe right on the bay, and then walked over to Durdle Door. I think it's one of our most favourite places in the world! I really struggled with the walk this time, which is very wimpy of me, and I felt very unfit! (I must make my dog walks longer and walk quicker!) On Friday, we went to find the small village of West Camel, which is where my ggrandfather was married, and it was delightful! The church was gorgeous, but there was building work going on, so we couldn't go inside. I took some photos. We saw some signs to Haynes Motor Museum, and Maurice fancied that. It was very nearby. What a fabulous museum! All cars of the 50s, 60s and some 70s! All cars that we had heard of, not a 1911 De Dion Bouton in sight!!! We loved hall no 1, absolutely packed with red sports cars, favourites being the Lancia and the Ferrari. After we left there, we stopped at Stonehenge, very busy with foreign tourists, we didn't go in, just sat on the grass and had a cup of tea. We got home about 5pm, and then dashed to get Merlin, who was very pleased to see us!

Book of Me

LHS
RHS
Oh how I have enjoyed this summer's UKS cybercrop! I decided to join the BOM bus, and what a good job I did, it's been fab! Lots of chat and inspiration beforehand, and daily prompts about what you might put into your bom. (EG signs of me around the house, 10 things you do every day, cars you've owned, clothes you've worn etc)

Here are some of my LOs (I'm afraid the photo quality isn't fab)

Sarah and David's 25th wedding anniversary

We went to Sarah and David's 25th wedding anniversary party on Saturday evening. (Sarah is an old school friend, we've kept in touch over the years even though she has spent most of the last 25 years living abroad, as David is an expat worker for HSBC. We had a fantastic time. It was at a very posh hotel, Baliffscourt at Climping. We were greeted outside with champagne and canapes at first, and talked to Sarah, Lesley, and Sarah's Dad. We were then ushered inside for a fabulous meal in an old medieval looking room. Not very big, only 4 tables of 8. We sat with Sarah, David, David and Christine, and Sarah's brother Tim. It was a fabulous meal, the wine was flowing and the conversation interesting! (As it always is with Sarah and David!)

After we had eaten we watched a wonderful film that David had made (in secret) which was made up from photographs of their wedding, honeymoon, and children growing up. It was fabulous, David had done a really great job. (The music was a bit cheesy, very lovey-dovey for my taste!!!!!) He gave her the most beautiful ring because he said she hadn't wanted an engagement ring so he was giving it to her now. ( I have to confess to wishing my DH was a bit more like that - on our 25th he didn't even give me a card, and I had spent hours scouring the shops for some really nice cufflinks for him!)

We stayed chatting until really late, and got home about midnight. Even DH said he wouldn't mind hosting a party like that. Maybe our 30th!

UKStampers CJ

Oh my god! I am really nervous about this CJ! It is UK Stampers first CJ, and most (if not all!!) of the other participants are much much better at stamping than me! I decided on colours as a theme (thanks ALice from my UK Scrapbooking team). I like muted, but bright colours myself, just like the Basic Grey papers. I happened to have my sewing machine out as well, so decided to 'quilt' the front cover. Letters are stamped in different colours, then cut out and 3d glazed. Inside (not pictured) I've used loads of distress inks (ooh they are so scrummy), on white card, and swooshed them about. MY entry is green! I feel a bit green worrying about this! My final attempt is not too bad - I do like it, and I suppose that's the main thing! I would just love all those really clever stampers to really go to town in my CJ. That would be a real privilage!

Loving the UKscrapbboking cybercrop atm. Off to do Jillybean's class with some scrummy Crate papers.

It's August already!

OMG! It's August already!!! What's happening this week?

DS is away, and has texted to say he's having a great time!

DD has been lovley (mainly becasue she has needed to earn some money!!), and has helped round the house, and been really nice. She came out with me and Mum and Dad yesterday afternoon to a garden centre. WE had a cream tea! It was £10.15!!!! EEK! what a waste of money! Oh well, Mum and Dad enjoyed it.

DH at work. He came home on Monday night and fell asleep on the sofa for a couple of hours. DD was sleeping over, so we were on our own. When he woke up he farted all over the place. How romantic is that?

Me, I'm cybercropping on UKS. Doing a book of me. I have loved the prompts to make me think about my life, etc. Just a bit frustrated because I've had other things to do, and would quite like to just concentrate on my BOM. Yesterday I sorted out a whole load of old photos and DD scanned them in for me, and printed some. Off to do a page on 'Meeting DH'

Weather is much cooler this week, and I've slept much better under the duvet rather than just a sheet.

Party animals - NOT!

Last night we went to a party. John and Amamnda are moving to Dubai for one year, so they had a huge party to say goodbye. They have an amazing house on Shoreham Beach, right on the pebbles. The whole of the back of their house opens up, it is fab! Last night they had a 10 piece band in their lounge. The band was really good, playing all sorts of rock music from the 70s mostly (Rolling Stones, Roxy Music etc). But we didn't know anybody except John and Amanda. (DH knew about 3 people from work, but I didn't know them). We sat in a corner feeling a bit sorry for ourselves, talked to a man with a flashy camera for a bit, and came home! I was supposed to be driving so didn't have much to drink, and then DH drove home!

But there is no way that we would not have gone, we wanted to say good bye to J and A. But what to do at a party like that? I would have been quite happy bopping to the band on my own, but DD was with us, and she thought I looked too embarrassing!!! J and A lead a completely different lifestyle to us, lots of socialising (they can never find a free weekend when we ask them here!) and will be perfectly fine in Dubai. We just don't socialise, and don't like parties much, would rather sit at home with a bottle of nice wine from Sainsbury's - cheaper, not noisy or smoky, can find a comfortable seat etc etc. Aren't we getting old? (Trouble is J is older than DH!!)

Worthing sea front fayre

I love the sea front fayre! It happens at the end of July each year, but we've not been here the last few years. Last night there was a huge firework display from the end of the pier. It was great! Loads of people heading for the seafront at 10pm, and it was a warm, balmy evening. Here are my attempts at some pics! I took 48, but there's only about 5 that are OK, most of them are very blurred. I rested the camera on a breakwater post, but I still jog it when I press the shutter. Quite pleased with these though, and they are much better than last year.

























Maurice and I walked into town this afternoon along the prom. There was a mock air-sea rescue going on, but it was quite a way out to sea, not easy for us to see. Love that helicopter! (I love watching the tv series 'Seaside Rescue'. I just think the men who man the helicopter are sooooo cool, I want to marry them all!) There is a market all along the prom, which is really busy. I wish they would do it more often in the summer, it makes the town really buzz.


Nicholas went on his Christian camp today. He went on his own on the train to Tonbridge! He was really nervous all day, because he didn't go until 4.30pm. We all went to the station to see him off! I'm going to miss him, because he is about at hime alot, and is really good company atm. I hope he has a good time! He is camping near Tonbridge (near BIL John), and it sound slike he'll be canoeing, hiking and generally doing outdoor things, just like scout camp really.



The weather is changing slightly. It has cooled down over the last couple of days, and today it has clouded over and now it's sticky. I hope it stays cooler but dry for Nicholas's holiday, and then it must heat up again for the week after cos that's when DD is going to France with Claire, Andy and Katrina. (And Nicholas is off to Soul Survivor)

Here's a CJ entry for Dawn's CJ, Textures. I made each letter with a different texture, the t's are from corrugated board, the e's have mesh on them, the x is embossed with metallic look, the u is soft fabric, the r is embossed shiny nad smooth, and the s has fibres wrapped round it. These are my colours! I love autumny shades, golds, oranges, reds, browns.




These are the ATCs I made for a swap on UKS - theme: dragonflies and butterflies. I am really pleased with the background, made by swooshing distress ink around with a baby wipe, old paper, scattered straw and worn lipstick. I then stamped butterflies randomly in scattered straw. But, then I couldn't decide what to do on top, and I made a few duff ones first! I hope these are good enough - I love the colours, much prettier than I usually use, especially the worn lipstick! Mostly I have stamped on top with my darker distress inks, brick red and the dark brown (can't remember the name of it right now)
It is my 2nd ATC swap, I made a few for the last cyber crop. I'm still really nervous about swapping things like this, becasue I know there are lots of people much better than me! But I am learning, and I really felt that I learnd a lot doing these about how much ink to put on the stamp, and being patient and waiting for the ink to dry! One or two of the words are a bit wonky, but I quite like that. I hope my swapees like them too!

Ooops! It's a while since I last posted!

Just a few words about the weekend - Saturday: went shopping to Crawley (again!) with Claire, Lucy and Katrina. It was very hot and sticky, and I really didn't feel very well, so did not enjoy shopping. I did buy a jacket in the Next sale. Lucy and Katrian had a fab time shopping for their holiday, and Claire only bought a top (oh and Radio Times!!) I managed to have a little nap in the afternoon before going to Stewart's BBQ. Stewart is 50 now! (Here is a pic of Stewart and his mum!) We used to socialise all the time with the 'bike' crowd in our 20s. It stopped really when we had Nicholas. We tend to get together for a meal at Christmas (Gary organises us). So it is always great to see everyone again, and lots of catching up to do!

Sunday: Got up really early to go to Newbury all-day crop organised by the lovely MJ! I picked Jan up in Portsmouth, and it was really nice to have her to chat to. We arrived at 10am on time! I am always amazed at how friendly the group is, and how welcoming. We had a fab day, lots of scrapping, chatting, eating and drinking tea and coffee - a perfect day. We left at 7pm, and I was home just after 9.

School has broken up now, and DD has been very keen to do jobs to earn some extra cash! She has made some of the tea, tidied the kitchen and her room, so she can have some money to go shopping in Brighton with Katrina tomorrow (for more stuff for their holiday!)

DS is sorting out my dad's computer, and hopefully the bits he has ordered will come tomorrow. Should be able to install on Friday.

I did a bit of clearing out in my bedroom today - books and magazines and CDs were all getting out of hand by my bed. I took some RHS garden mags to the Oxfam shop. I always love taking things to the charity shop, it feels like a burden lifted, and gives me the feel-good factor!

Just joined the summer cybercrop on UKS. I'm doing the Book of Me, and am loving the prompts! I spent ages this morning making a list of the 'tracks of my years', and 10 things I do every day, and 5 things I never do! I'll upload it all here later.

Garden update

It's been really hot this week, and the garden looks like it has frizzled up in disgust! The grass is almost completely brown (apart from a few green patches of weeds!), and some of the shrubs are limp and dull. I have been trying to keep up with watering the pots, and I am pleased with how they look this year.

I keep my bedding plants to pots on the patio just outside the back door so that I don't have to walk too far to water them. We've been putting every drop of washing up water on the garden. It would be nicew to be able to put the shower water on the garden too, but I'm not sure how we'd do that!

Still quite a few plants in flower - I always think that Summer is a bit green in my garden, not so much in flower as in spring. Here's what's in flower today:

hosta, helenium, echinacea, kniphofia (2 types), hydrangea (2 types), daisy thing, grass (don't know it's name), penstemon (pink, garnet, red, blackbird), croscosmia (red, bright, bright red), rock rose (nearly finished), clematis (several types), hemerocallis (bronzy red colour and double orange), red lychnis, rose (ground cover), perennial sweet pea, agapanthus, phygellis, stocks, fushia, lysimachia, orange wallflower.

Seems I have alot of red, trouble is it's mixed in with bright pink!!

sew colourful CJ

Part of the eager beavers CJ. I am really pleased with this. It is a bit of a scraplift from Simply Stamping this month.

The tags are big. On the left hand page the tag is covered with a page from an old book on ballroom dancing, and then inked with distress inks. The dress is BG paper, with lace sewn on the bottom, and then a few lines of straight and zigzag stitching. There is a bit of zigzag stitching to denote the front opening (like lacing). Machine stitching with primas, and round the edge of the card. The left hand page has pieces from a dress-making pattern under the tag. (It's a vogue jacket pattern that I never made, and never will now!!) The tag is covered in the instructions, and distress inked. The dress is cut from BG Mortifica paper.

I love it!

Hot, hot, hot (again)

It's been incredibly hot today. The hottest July day on record! (36.3 degrees at gatwick airport).

Nicholas and I walked Merlin to the beach this morning at 8am. We had to keep to the shade, it was hot already! I went in the sea, unbelievable for this country, so early, yet so hot.

Then I went to Waitrose shopping. I walked into town and bought 3 fans, hope they help keep us cool tonight - it seems to heat up upstairs just before we go to bed!

Pam, Victoria and Lorraine came round for lunch, and we sat under the tree, but it was still quite hot. We spent a good couple of hours discussing teenage daughters - maybe mine isn't so bad after all!

Tonight I've been out for a meal with the family centre, celebrating their 10 years.

Scrapping, Cjs and swaps

This is my garden cj cover. Please give some constructive comments! I'm not sure that the flower goes with the rub-ons? The paper is HOTP, and is lovely fresh bright colours. Maybe I shouldn't have put the rub-on flowers on cos they are not bright and fresh, more autumny. I really like all the bright ribbons and fibres though!

















I have done quite a lot of scrapping lately. I made the starbook (did I tell you how pleased I am with it?? LOL). At my weekend crop, I managed to do 3 pages for my garden through the year album. I am using one of my calendar tag sets from UKS swap for it. Thanks to Louise (chrismicbritt) for the january tag. The April tag doesn't have a name on the back, so I'll try to find out who made it.


















I have done 4 CJ entries for our team CJ, and made my own CJ at my weekend crop. The Eager Beavers CJ is well under way, and I have Ellsese's 'Sew Colourful' CJ to do this week. Posting on this CJ is every 2 weeks, which is a bit quick really! Now I have to amke my CJ for UKstampers first CJ. Bit nervous about this one, especially as I have seen Flo's CJ on her blog!! It's fab.











Swaps are a bit slow atm. I have purposely not joined too many. But I am very excited about the huge bag of primas I got this morning. It was a 'fancy' prima swap, and for the first time I joined all 3 groups. Includes, flowers of the month, hydrangeas, got flowers, leaves, in all different colours, yummy. Here's a pic: can't wait to use them!

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.