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.

Bank holiday monday

Monday We decided to take Merlin for a walk up on the downs. We parked up on Steyning bowl and walked a short distance of the South Downs way. It is fantastic when you get into the hills. The weather was absolutely perfect, warm, but fresh, and lots of clouds scudding across the sky making interesting shadows over the undulating fields. The corn fields that have been harvested reflect the light and look like 'fields of gold'. I love that you can see the sea, and the ships waiting to come intoShoreham Harbour. In fact, you can see right from Beachy Head in the East to the Isle of Wight in the west, a great panorama. And we say that living here is boring - I think not!

What is incredible is that I have lived here for over 40 years, and to my shame have not walked on the downs much. I did cycle to Steyning when I was a teenager with my brother, and we went up over Steyning bowl. It seems an awfuly long way to me now!

Texas Bank holiday Sunday

Sunday we went to Arundel Castle for a Texas concert. It turned out to be a fab setting, but at first we were not so sure. There wasn't anywhere to have a picnic, the small piece of grass they allocated was way too small, and extremely crowded! We found a bit by a wall in the end that wasn't too bad. Then the support bands were local bands that had won a competition by the local radio station Spirit FM. The first band, called Sandweaver, and from Worthing wasn't too bad, but the next band, called Shimoto or something were awful!!! Finally, Texas came on, and boy, were they worth waiting for! Charlene Spiteri is fab, fab, fab! Her voice is fantastic. They sound much better live than the CD! (I don't always think that!). I knew every song they sang, and then when I got home, I realised that the CD I've got is their greatest hits album, Durrrrr! Oh I love summer outdoor concerts! Last year we went to Kew (spectacular setting, in front of big greenhouse) to see Claire Teal, who was OK, and Fontwell to see Katy Melua, who was fab.

Bank holiday weekend saturday

After lunch, Maurice and I went to Lewes. What a lovely town! Everything is olde worlde! I tried to take some 'architectural photos, but they didn't turn out the best. I was hoping to do a Lewes page for my scrapbook. Maybe I've got enough here, if I work on them in photoshop.

I made this accordian book at my (very) local scrapbook class. I've just found out that it exisits, and it is literally just round the corner, I walked! http://www.gingerpickles.co.uk/ It was great fun, and I hope to do more of her classes, but maybe not every month, we'll see.

UKStampers CJ entry

These are my pages for Cal's CJ, 'Hopes and Dreams'. I had to think long and hard, I didn't think I had any dreams!! As ever, I have posted these the wrong way round, Hopes is the LHS and Dreams is the RHS!

It took me ages, because I wanted to create a 'dreamy' background. I used direct to paper technique and then stamped dragonflies and butterflies in the same colour ink. I really tried not to be more patient and not to smudge the ink! I hope you like it!

Next posting is Tuesday, so by the middle of next week I'll have the next one. Exciting!!

retail therapy!

I had a bit of a spend up yesterday!! Look at these gorgeous tops! The 2 on the left are from Next and the one on the right is from Monsoon. I love the funky designs on these tops and the colours, so autumny!

I decided I need to take more care when I dress. I end up wearing the dogwalking clothes all day! (Guess what I've got on now!) I went for coffee with my friends last week and felt SO scruffy! So when DD had her hair done yesteray, I went shopping. I went in Monsoon for the sale, but just fell in love with this orangy dress top. I shall wear it with my beige linen trousers. In the afternoon I decided to go to Chichester to go to Staples (for craft storage) and Lakeland (craft). I spent far too much money! I bought some flat box files for my unmounted stamps, another magazine rack, little presents for the kids, pens, etc in Staples. In Lakeland I bought loads of stuff I'm not really sure I want!! (OOOPS!) Bargain load of inks for £9, hope they are OK. I had a little play with them last night, and they seem OK. Some pastel scrapbook papers, £3 for 12 sheets, a little 6 x 6 book of floral papers which will be good for my gardening album. Oh and a whole load of signo pens in Woolworth for £5 (says it's £50 worth on the box!!) Now I can do my journaling in all different colours!!

It's a really gorgeous day here today. Took Merlin for a walk along Ferring beach, and the sun is warm but the air fresh, and a very slight autumn tinge. The sea was a gorgeous shade of blue. Then I had my coffee in the garden and took some more garden photos. I am trying to photograph my fuschias but it's very difficult to get them in focus, too 3d I think! Off to do a CJ entry now, I really MUST get it done!!

Diets

I am always 'dieting'!! LOL. Well actually ROFLOL, becasue i never lose any weight! I have been going to Rosemary Conley classes for about 10 years, on and off, but mostly on. I really enjoy the exercise, it's not too strenous, and I like the people who go. I've made some nice friends over the years. People come and go, but I keep right on in there!

At the beginning of this year, Sue took over the franchise from Anne, and she has built the classes right back up in numbers. I now go to the late Thursday evening slot for 'samba'. It's great fun! I love it.

I have put on a few pounds over the summer, and thought I should try and lose it, but as soon as I think that, I start putting more weight on! I simply eat too much! I do a fair bit of exercise, walking the dog twice most days. Must try harder.

UKS and crops

I have spent far too long on here today. I didn't have to go to my voluntary job this afternoon becasue Lucy was off sick. I did go to Sainsbury's and I did do my Anglo-Italian FHS stuff, but I've also spent far too long on here, and now I can't seem to get off!

I saw a thread about scrapbookers in Kent, so started one on scrapbookers in Sussex. I've had some amazing responses. There is a scrapbook online shop based in Worthing that does classes! I didn't know. I've left a message on their answerphone, becasue it would be good to have a truly local place to go. The only reservation I have is that it might be a bit basic, it sounds like it is for beginners.

I've finally booked on a crop at Jillybean's over in eastbourne, been meaning to go there for ages, especially as it's just round the corner from Cynthia, so I know it's only 1 hour away. Sunday 10th September 10 - 6 I think.

I've also booked on a crop with Cre8tive online in Fareham. Hopefully that will be about 1 hour away too. I had some excellent service from them when I wanted some cardstock, so really looking forward to that. Saturday 30th September

And I'm going to Scrappers Paradise crop in Crawley on Monday 18th September. That is in the evening. I would love to go to their retreat, but maybe I ought to discuss it with DH first!

I just love UKS atm, it's like having a whole crowd of like minded friends to talk/chat /ask advice at any time, and at the drop of a hat! FAB!

I have also today looked at some fabulous blogs, linked from UKStampers. (Must sort out how to link blogs from here) Lots of collagy vintagy cards etc. Very inspirational. In fact, it inspried me to have a go at masking for the first time ever. I'm quite pleased with the results! It's just difficult to design, and decide which stamps to use. I want to do something collagy for the UKStampers CJ I've got. I think i really will go downstairs and have another play, and find some stamps that go with the theme. It needs a background too.

Last bit of news. we got our new laptop today. DS is just setting it up, loading stuff on to it. Hopefully I will be able to commandeer it for the scrap/dining room sometimes!

I've made another star book! I love making these. This one is for my friend's daughter who is 18 today. My friend gave me loads of photos, so I scanned them in and resized, cropped and cut them up. I themed each page, so there is a page of Rose as a little girl, a page of parents and siblings, a page of grandparents and cousins, a page of school and pets, and finally the page you can see is Rose's singing career. She won BBC Choirgirl of the year in 2004, and here are some of the people she met during her year. I gave her the book yesterday, and she was thrilled with it, she even cried!!!

I wonder if I can go into business making minibooks for people?...? Don't suppose it would make much money, but it would give me some extra pocket money for stash.....

Tagged by Kelly

I've been taged by Kelly. Great questions!

Four jobs I have had in my life.
1 accountant
2 research assistant
3 NCT antenatal teacher
4 shop assistant at Woolworths (when I was at school!)

Four Movies I would watch over and over:
1 anything Disney
2 Walk the Line (hired it on DVD recently, and want to watch it again)
3 Sleepless in Seattle
4 ???? (I'm not a great movie buff, but I'd like to be)


Four Places I have lived:
1 Coventry (until I was 4)
2 Sompting (4 until 19)
3 Shoreham (first house as married)
4 Worthing


Four TV shows I love to watch:
1 Gardners World
2 Neighbours (I am ashamed to admit - watch it while I'm cooking tea)
3 Anything about explorers, loving Bruce Parry atm
4 New Tricks (Amanda Redman, Dennis Waterman, etc)


Four places I've been on vacation:
1 Canada - love it!
2 Spain
3 Austria (in summer)
4 Devon Cornwall etc


Four Web sites I visit regularly:
1 UKScrappers
2 Snoopy.com
3 UK Stampers
4 Shoreham Beach Weather


Four of my favourite foods:
1 roast lamb with mint sauce
2 salad, must have beetroot!
3 nuts
4 Indian


Four Places I'd rather be right now:
1 in bed!
2 lying on a beach with the sun beating down on my back
3 scrapping downstairs (not wasting time on here (LOL))
4 on holiday with DH


Four things that make me smile:
1 Merlin - my dog
2 Dad's Army
3 DH's silly jokes
4 DS and DD making silly jokes that are only funny to us!

Watch out, I might be tagging you!

Gorgeous DD!

After posting those lovely pics of DS, I thought i should redress the balance and post these of DD! (They were taken back in the hot days of summer)

She has just come back from meeting latest boyfriend. Dilemma - where should they go? Her bedroom is huge and really nice, and has a settee in it. But will they sit on it? Or lie on her double bed? (I'm sure letting her have MIL's double bed was not a good idea!!) I've told her she has to keep the door open because I know what 16 year old boys and 14 year old girls do!!

The door is half open!!

Garden in August

Just about the only thing in flower (apart from pots) is this lovely blue hibiscus. Even this looks very floppy. The view along my garden path shows just how much my neighbour's passion flower has grown through. I love it!

Just look at the grass though! Will it ever recover? It has been so dry, and every time we get rain forecast, it seems to blow over with just one or two spots to dampen the leaves. It has rained a bit more today (Merlin and I got soaked in a bit of a downpour this morning, first time for ages it's rained while we've been walking). The weather is really horrible atm. I find that it makes me feel really tired. It's quite warm, very humid, and although cloudy it's very bright. You don't know what to wear - wear a t-shirt you're too cold, wear a cardigan too hot! Put on sunglasses, too dark, without them, too bright! I'm secretly longing for that hot weather again, but perhpas it's too late now. Certainly it's beginning to feel autumny, the nights are drawing in too quickly.

A/S level results

Here is my ever so gorgeous, clever son with my ever so gorgeous (not so clever) dog! Nicholas has just got his A/S results, 3 A's 1 B. A's for Maths, Physics and Computing, and B for Geography. He is dropping geography now and carrying on with 3 A levels. I am sooooo proud!!!

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