Photography up at Highdown

I took my little camera up to Highdown this morning. The sky was intersting, and I thought it might be really clear. There is not much obvious to take photos of up there, but I am trying to be more creative! I am tryiong to take photos from different angles. I have used Kirsty's little popping program on these, becasue I printed a whole load of photos from Goodwood recently, and did a couple of Los, but I am disappointed in the lack of colour in the photos. They are not bad photos, quite well composed, and nicely in focus, just lacking that oomph!



This is looking down on Ferring. We walk along the Rife down there sometimes, and there is a great cafe on the beach. It's also good to walk along the greensward from the cafe.













Merlin had a wonderful time running through the long grass, you can just see him in the distance in this photo!











Pleased with the sky in this one!

weather (again)

Here are the photos I found of when we nearly got flooded in 1991. This huge puddle trickled out onto the road in the middle of the night right opposite our house! The weather is still awful here. I spent a second Sunday scrapping all day! Which is fab, but not what I expect to be doing at this time of year. Been working really hard on my 'When I grow up' book from Shimelle's class back in April. I've put a lot of personal stuff in it, so don't know if I'll show it to anyone.

We took Nicholas out for a celebratory meal on Saturday evening, for completing his A levels! L refused to come with us, and made a bit of a scene, which we all found rather upsetting, and when she did got out (to lancing to meet a boy we'd never heard of) she phoned us to say his Mum was going out and wouldn't let them all alone in the house, so they were going to his friend's in Shoreham!! Anyway, we went to Brighton to Donatellos which is a huge Italian restuarant and always lively and full of fun! A bit too much full of fun on Sat eve, full of hen parties!!! It was very noisy, too noisy really, and although the food was superb, and service excellent, we didn't really enjoy ourselves.

What awful weather!

June has been a total washout this year. As we near the end of the month, I can honestly say that I have not fancied being out in the garden at all, and my tan is non-exis!tant. As I look out of the window now, it is dry, but windy, grey and cold!!! There have been no hot nights, when I have had to throw off the quilt.

There have been massive floods in the north of the country, especially around Sheffield. How awful it must be to have your house flooded. The flood waters are usually very dirty, and ruin all your furniture, walls, floors and belongings! It will take a long time for all those householders to get back to normal. There is a dam that is cracked, and might breach. If it deos there are homes in the way!

The nearest we got to being flooded was when we lived on the seafront. Between the sea and our house was a big green, then a bank, then pebbles down to the sea. We reckoned that we were actullay below sea level. When there were winter high tides coupled with high winds, the bank used to leak, and the green flooded. The green was not completely flat, and ther was a dip in it that came onto the road right opposite our house. One night the sea water flooded the road, and was just lapping our drive! I found the photos the other day, so when I get a moment, I'll scan them in.

The forecast for the weekend is for much more torrential rain for the whole country. Poor people who are already flooded!

Smoking ban

The smoking ban comes in on Saturday. That has come round quickly! I hadn't really thought about it much until we decided at the Family Centre to rethink smoking there. ATM service users who want a cigarette stand outside the back door, and we have an old paint tin for the butts (YUCK!) We put up a poll to ask whether they wanted to continue with that, or go out on the pavement. It's come back 50/50 really. So we're planning to let them smoke at the end of the drive, so that they don't cause a nuisance on the pavement for passers by. (Although it is a quiet area, and there are not many passers by)

Gosh I'm glad I've already given up smoking (about 20 years ago now!). I started at school, cos some of my firiends did, and once we got into the 6th form, we used to go out of school at break time for our fags! We used to go round the corner so we weren't seen - these days they light up the moment they are out of the school gates, sometimes even sooner than that! The whole of the 6th form were asked to be prefects, so we turned it down, so we could continue going out for our fag!

Another smoking memory that comes to mind is when I worked in a little accountacny firm round the corner here. There were 3 full timers, and a couple of part timers, and we all smoked like chimneys!!! It must have been absolutely horrible in there!! We drank loads of coffee, and sat at big old dining room tables that had wonky legs and were stacked up with books. Nothing wa sever filed away, so there were great big piles of folders and papers on our 'desks'. The boss used to come in on a Friday and buy us all cream cakes, and he gobbled his so quickly, it was disgusting!!! What a place to work! I didn't stay very long!

Cards I made with my HOTP kit from QVC

I ordered the TSV from QVC craft day last weekend. I have never ordered from QVC before, always thinking that they charge way too much for postage. But I rather fancied this card making kit, mainly becasue I iften don't like the cards I make, and want some more ideas. This kit is a huge book, full of papers that all co-ordinate, quotes and embellishments, not to mention the ribbons, brads (eyelet brads, button brads, and great big brads), and stamps (3 sheets of clear stamps). There are instructions for 42 cards, so I ma slowly working my way through them.

What I like about the kit:

Easy to follow instructions
The great big brads have rub-ons to go on them!
The insides of the cards are also decorated.
Loads of lovely ribbon
The stamps look really good, and I will definately use them lots

What I don't like:

The kit didn't include card blanks

Some of the papers are not very nice!

The quotes and phrases are a bit too gushy! But I could always put something else in their place, like a nice stamp.

Goodwood festival of speed

We had a fabulous day at Goodwood Festival of Speed. We are always very impressed with the fantastic organisation. We parked the bike in the 'proper' bike park this time, and there were huge stores for jackets and helmets etc, and a shuttle to the entrance. We went in the entrance near one of the paddocks. That's the great thing about Goodwood, you can go in the paddocls and touch the cars, you are so near. You sometimes get to see famous racing drivers too! Today we saw Jochen Maas, and a Scottish driver called A McNish (never heard of him, but he was signing autographs!) Last time we went, we saw Derek Bell and Jensen Button and usually see Sammy Miller. Anyway, here's a couple of the best photos from the paddock.

Every year they have an enormous structural display in front of Goodwood house. This year it was Toyota's turn, and these cars hung in space from huge girders! Very impressive!

The heavens opened at one time, and we sheltered under the Suburu tent, next to Colin McCrae's car! The rain didn't last long, but boy did it come down! There was a bit of thunder and lightning too. Then the red arrows flew by and did an awesome display. I LOVE the red arrows, and never fail to be impressed. I couldn't take a picture cos it was still raining then, and I didn't want to get my camera wet!

A fabulous, gorgeous blue Harley.

At the Porsche driving experience. You paid an extortionate amount to be driven round a small circuit in avery muddy car!

My best attempt at panning. This is the actual point of the Festival of Speed. It is a hill climb race, and all the bikes and cars are timed riding/driving up the hill. The vehicles come from all ages, and many are famous racing bikes and cars, and many are driven by old (and new)racers. Louis Hamilton, rookie F1 Winner, is going to be ther tomorrow (Sunday is the actual race day, Friday and Saturday are practices)

Stunt rider Christain Pfiefer on a BMW 800, stunning the crowds (even more so because the track was wet and greasy)

I love that Goodwood logo! This is the pedestrian bridge over the track. On the right hand side of the picture is Goodwood house and the paddocks, on the left all the big car manufacturers have huge stands to show off their wares.

In the Cartier 'Style et Lux' area. Always some very gorgeous cars here, and as you can guess, I have loads of photos from here!

Ferrari had pride of place in the stable block this year.

I really ought to blog more often....

Oh I wish i could blog every day. It would only need to be a line or two. In fact, the reason I don't is because I usually post on chat threads in UKS and Tandastamps forums. What I should do (and have done on occasions) is copy and paste into my blog! Problem solved! A couple of photos I took yesterday in the garden. Another reason I don't blog very often is that I always think the entries look so much better with photos, and I just can't be bothered to resize etc to be able to post them!!! These are popadoodledoo'd as well!

Ok one or two lines about today. It is still warm and humid. We (merlin and I) got a bit wet this morning on our walk up to Highdown. He seemed to really enjoy it this morning, he loves running through the long grass, especially when it is windy too! Work was pants, there isn't really enough to do for 3 hours most days, I just wipe down clean things to while away the time sometimes! I should probably suggest that I cut my hours, but then that's less money:( Just done my Anglo Italian stuff and nonsense, and now have to go to the bank and waitrose. Off to Crawley crop tonight, hurrah!

NJ had a maths exam this morning. A levels don't seem very taxing really! He's only had a couple of exams so far (but 3 this week!). They have only been for 1.5 hours - didn't we have 3 hour exams? He is not at all perplexed or stressed. He had an interview at waitrose last week, and is waiting to hear on that. Still pondering the church gap year scheme thingy.

LE is going into town with girlies after school. She is always out atm!! Still, I think i was too at that age, why not?

M's wobbly job is looking a little better in that RC in Phoenix will want a person just like him in August to fill a Eurpoean slot. Here's hoping!

Mum and dad came over yesterday. Dad drove his car for the first time in ages. He seemed really well, and jolly. Let's hope he is on th mend, and he gets a good long spell of feeling OK. I showed them my heritage album, and we talked family history alot. I ordered a few more certificates. Why are they so expensive?

Are there I go again - one or two lines becomes 10 then 20......

cool day!

We had a really cool day yesterday! At the end of our week off work, i was feeling a little disappointed with ourselves. We didn't go anywhere (except Mottisfont on Tuesday) and we only did small bits of jobs, like move half of the carpet that was on the patio to the end of the garden (to use as a weed supressor on the path).

So yesterday we went out! I persuaded DH that we should go for a ride on his bike as it was such a gorgeous day! We took lots of little 'B' roads around West and East Sussex, ending up at Balcombe viaduct. What a splendid sight! Then we had half a lager at a gorgeous little village called Lindfield (not to be confused with Lingfield where the lovely Craft barn is!) overlooking the village pond!

After tea we all went for a walk down to the beach and we took some great photos, a selection of which can be seen here!

Check out my Slide Show!

Other people's blogs

I woke up early this morning with backache, so instead of tossing and turning, decided to get up! I've now been up a couple of hours and have had time to potter about, drink tea, have breakfast, take some photos and sit here perusing other people's blogs.

I really should update the list at the side. I don't visit many of them anymore.

Just found a thread on UKS that listed some great blogs, some scrapping related, some not:

http://www.pencillines.com/ my present homepage
http://www.embers.typepad.com/ I'm still doing emily's 52 week challenge
http://a-true-friend.blogspot.com/ pet LO challenges (love scrapping my dog!)
http://scrapbooklayouts.blogspot.com/ I am so definately a multi-photo LO girl!
http://onelittleword.blogspot.com/ just found this one, it looks good
http://posy.typepad.com/posy/ a dream - country living at it's best!

I must check them out more often! Actually, I must visit here more often!

some recent craft projects

Card for MILs birthday today! I am really pleased with this, one of the best cards I have made! The background is alcolhol,inks (first time I have used mine!) and butterfly background stamp from Tanda Stamps. ( I have some gorgeous stamps from them recently, must get round to using them soon!)







LO completed at Class run by Natalie O'Shea at Crafts-U=Love near crawley, photos from photoshoot done by Natalie at Scrappers Paradise Photography Day back in March.



















Inchies for Inchie Swap on Tanda Stamps forum, theme Nature. (I am afraid I am not so pleased with these as the 'faces; ones.)

Mottisfont Abbey

We went to Mosttisfont Abbey near Romsey yesterday. We had to take M's bike in for fixing the oil leak, up to BMW in Guildford, so we borrowed a bike (a GS Adventurer, will take a pic before it goes back!), and rode down along to Winchester where we stopped for coffee (in Debenhams!) and then onto Mottisfont. It has a wonderful walled garden full of roses, so it's near enough at it's peak atm. It was really gorgeous, and the smell was lovely too. I really love the way NT properties are so neat and tidy, no rubbish about, lawn edges perfect, lawns manicured, and of course looking gorgeously green after all this rain!

New hall, stairs and landing carpet

Well, here it is at long last! We promised ourselves we would have a new carpet when we moved in - 14 and a half years ago! Trouble is, the old carpet was such good quality, and didn't show any dirt, and we got the dog nearly 4 years ago! So we ummed and ahhed a bit, becasue to be frank we are a bit worried about the dog messing it up. He does lie in the hall a lot, and there are always lots of dog hairs, dust, grit and sand from him in the carpet! (not to mention sick and poo!) So we decided to go for brown with flecks, yes dog sick and poo colour!!!

It looks really nice, and it is good quality. It should last us out here. We had to empty the big dresser in the hall, and I looked in DH's whiskey cupboard for the first time ever! Look what I found! These bottles must be a t least 25 years old! It's made us reminisce about Dubonnet and Martini, such sophisticated drinks in the 1970s! I used to love Dubonnet and lemonade.

The bottle of Baileys has I think just 1 drink poured from it. It is now SOLID! DH was sure it would be Ok - the thought of pouring alcohol down the sink fills him with apoplexy! Anyway, only the fairly new bottles of sherry and port have gone back, oh and a couple of bottles of neat alcohol, I mean Polish spirit vodka! YUK! No whiskey left atm, poor DH, he'll have to drink wodka instead.....

Some lovely photos of Merlin waiting for a piece of M's toast!

A few more greay haris!

Well, my week started off bad with not being able to go my crawley crop on Monday, and then Lucy's bag with keys being stolen . On Wednesday morning, we were woken up by the dog at 5am, to a HUGE d**** (don't know how to spell it ) mess on the kitchen floor!! YUK! We cleared it up, and I decided it wasn't worth going back to bed, so I went to work at 5.30am!!! I was working 2x on Wednesday because I had to take Mum and dad to hammersmith for his check up yesterday. I was knackered!!! I went back to work exactly 12 hours later, at 5.30pm!!

DH went on an off-road motorcycling day, and has hurt his foot one of the times he fell off ! Actually, it is quite swollen. But he had a great day, and has realised just what a different sport off-road riding is! So I had to get up early yesterday to take the dog for a walk before going to Hammersmith. In fact, we were woken up at 6.15am by more d**** mess in the kitchen DOUBLE YUK !

When I got round to Mum and dad's to pick them up Dad looked terrible. He is hobbling around with tremendous pain in his leg. Although we had a good journey, we didn't have a good day at Hammersmith, cos Dad's myeloma is almost certainly back . Bit of a shock, cos I didn't know he was getting more pain, and it is only a few months since he finished the last lot of chemo. . They took an x-ray (waited ages!), and prescribed morphine for the pain, and he gets the results of all the blood tests at the end of the month. They are supposed to be going to Cornwall next week with some friends, so I hope he feels well enough to go. He is not going to be able to walk at all though. They've got some difficult decisions coming as to how the myeloma is treated this time. The doctor mentioned another stem cell transplant, which they were adamant they wouldn't want to go through with again last time. Oh dear!

But then we went out for a lovely meal with Robin and janice last night, and had a great time! And today I have nothing planned except a few chores and scrapping.

Teenage troubles

Lucy has had a hard time lately. After injuring her hip, and being ill while away with the volleyball lot, she lost her bag at school yesterday. Unfortunately it has her mobile phone and house keys in it! I hardly slept a wink last night worrying about someone being able to get in. DH hopefully will change the lock. It is such hassle when she loses her phone, and I've had to report this one to the police.

Then she found out that her best friend has been mucking about with a boy she likes lots, behind her back. Lucy and boy have been really good friends for ages, and Lucy would like it to be much more, but boy says she is a bit young, and he values her friendship too much to spoil it! Sounds very sensible doesn't it? Well, a couple of weeks ago, best friend decided she fancied boy too, and they had a bit of an argument, but made up when best friend and boy promised Lucy they wouldn't get together. Of course bf and boy have been doing what they shouldn't have behind Lucy's back, and she was distraught last night! I managed to cheer her up, and we went into town to buy new make up for the stuff she lost with the bag. She is taking it all in her stride - it's all personal growth stuff isn't it? We just have to be there to pick them up from the knocks from time to time. It is important to be that rock and stability for her, and I love being able to do that for her!

I had my appraisal at work today. It is quite fun, just an excuse to write me some new objectives. I think it is really great that they do the appraisal for me, I am only a volunteer! It just makes sure that what I am doing and what I think they expect me to do is what they want me to do! But I am able to pick and choose to a certain extent. I like being able to go in there and just get on with routine stuff. But I suppose I should get a new challenge too! Maybe something along the lines of report writing. I am not sure I want ot get involved directly with the service users, but there is a possibility of doing a bit of craft with them, maybe Christmas cards.

May Bank Holiday weekend

What a weekend it's been here! I had a fab time scrapping on Saturday - did a lovely LO with Natalie (and I've signed up for Scrappers Paradise in October!). Brighton crop was good too. Still a bit small, but we are a nice little group now.

Then I went to London yesterday, and had a good time at the Who Do You Think You Are? exhibition, manning the Anglo-Italian stall, with Kay and Barbara. Met some really interesting people. I've always quite fancied doing fairs and things, and am getting an opportunity to do so atm. I wasn't too keen to go to London, as I get a bit travel sick on the trains, but I took rescue remedy with me and felt OK.

But while I was there Lucy texted from Norwich (where she has gone as a spectator to the volleyball, cos she has injured her hip) to say that she had been really ill in the night, and was trying to sleep at the hotel all on her own!! Luckily, one of the girls was driving home last night, so she brought Lucy home. She didn't get home until 1am, poor girl! She is still asleep now, at 12.30pm, don't want to wake her up. I am so glad to have her back home, horrible to think of her ill away from home! We would have gone to get her today if she hadn't come home, cos they are not expected back until 9pm tonight, and it's school tomorrow.

We slept on this morning until 9am, and didn't go out with Merlin until 11! Lovely to have a relaxing day. The weather has chnged though - it's really windy and grey, a bit of rain, but not enough! It hasn't rained at all in April, so the garden is really dry. We need a few days of proper rain now. I planted some vegetable seeds - I am going to put vegetables in my pots on the patio this year instead of bedding plants. Going to potter a bit, and update my AIFHS stuff, and do a bit of housework.