Probably This Is The Last Post of 2010 ....

But then again - never say never - lol.

Things are looking up - the temperature has gone up (which is great because I can divest myself of some of the layers I've been wearing of late - I even went somewhere on Tuesday where the temperature was in double figures !!!!), all the friends and relations have been caught up with, by either personal visit, phone calls or email, I've had a nice quiet day of just dossing around - but

I am soooooooooooooo bored.  Ridiculous you might say with all the hobbies I have but right this minute I think I could quite cheerfully go back to work (well, perhaps mot right this minute because it's 6pm - but you know what I mean).

Anyways gave myself a talking to and have set up another Blog to carry on this 365 thing (carry on, as I said before - abysmal failure - lol).  Have a look here ....

Hope to see you there ....

I Said To Keep Looking ....

.... because I said that Sunday's post might not be the last one on this Blog - lol.

Like most people probably, I went into Town yesterday for a couple of last minute bits.  While I was wandering around, I came across one of those shops that are only there for the Christmas season and found this ....

I love this saying - hence the reason for being on the side bar of this Blog and my other one here ...

I'm generally not a cushion person, but I thought it was really cool.  I also got a mug with the same saying for the office.

So - you never know - there might be another post - lol.
Merry Christmas to everyone ....

Failed Miserably - But Coming Back in 2011 .....

Well - the year started off with high hopes and promises and here we are - well over two months since the last post on this Blog - still I'm not going to beat myself up over it.  The '365' concept is a great idea but sadly, in my case, not sustainable - lol.

I am, though, going to do another Blog for 2011 - not necessarily a photo a day - and probably not a post a day - but more a commentary on my 'Journey' through 2011 (I do hate that word and I'm so glad that Pamela didn't complete her Journey last night on Strictly.  I do not need a woman  who's a couple of years older than me undertaking a Journey for the rest of the women out there in our 'age group' - I can travel on my own thank you very much - lol.

Anyways, I digress.  There have been comments - dare I say complaints - from certain persons in the West Midlands - about the lack of recent activity on this Blog (recent - the last time posts of any significance were in August - lol).  There has also been concern expressed by one person in the West Midlands at my lack of 'excitement' and 'joining in' with the Christmas spirit.
So - just to show that there is Christmas in a certain house in West Sussex and to set Sue's mind at rest; and also to post, what will probably the last post on this Blog (but don't take that as a foregone conclusion - lol) here are some piccies of my effort for Christmas .....
First up - the tree .....

Now in the olden days, when the kids were here, I used to have a big six footer in this corner, which would be decorayted to within an inch of its life.  Can't be doing with all that now - so picked up this little one (about two foot six high), a dinky set of lights, some Gisella Graham ornaments (not enough I was gutted to find, so I had to pad it out a bit with some small gold baubles that were in the top of the wardrobe) and two reels of Gisella Graham ribbon - forty quid the lot.  Bonus - is that I won't have to go up in the loft to put it away.  The decorations will fit nicely back in their diddy carrier bag; the tree in a bin liner; and  everything will fit nicel and tidily into a drawer under the bed.

Next - a closeup of the birds at the base of the tree ....

These are so sweet - just love them and so cheep (get it - lol) at £3.99 each .....

And here are my token Christmas decorations ....

These are my Christmas people - the grey penguin (?) with the stripey legs, the gingerbread man and the reindeer at the front were all bought this year (£18 the lot) and the rest I have collected over recent years.
So there you are - photographic proof that Christmas is in West Sussex ......

275/365 - Liking New Gizmo's ...

Well - the 7th August (the last post) was light years away - but I'm not getting stressed about it.  Today it has been chucking it down with rain - ALL DAY - so I have not ventured outside but have been crafting and messing around with my digi camera.

Anyways - the purpose of this post ...

Bezzie Mate Linda got married a couple of weeks ago in a small, private family weding.  Me and my lovely daughter trotted along to the Church to watch and wish Bezzie Mate Linda well  and were told in no uncertain terms that we MUST attend the service.  Now this was a bit of a mishap - neither of us were dressed for the occasion and we had a baby in tow - who was perilously close to needing to be fed - so we sat at the back.

It was a lovely service and as is my usual habit I pottered around  afterwards taking piccies.  When I got home I saw that I had taken 87 - lol.

So because (a) it has been raining, (b) I still haven't set up the new photo printer (bought ages ago) to print off photos to make a scrapbook and (c) Bezzie Mate Sue is complaining about looking at the piccie of the lorry in the last post - I have made a Smilebox Slideshow of the wedding.  Smilebox is the new gizmo of choice- it's so easy to use with loads of templates and music and best of all - it's free - thank you Mr Smilebox ....
In fact - liking it so much that there's another slideshow here of today's crafting project ...

Now I know that looking at other people's photographs might not be another person's ideas of fun - but there is text to each photo and music and if it's raining where you are, it will while away five minutes.
If anyone does watch this I defy them not to have a snivel or two - lol.

Here it is - enjoy ...

Free slideshow design personalized with Smilebox

 

220/365 - A Big Truck ....

Took this photo on Wednesday afternoon, after the Welsh workmen had gone - but forgot about it - lol.  Wednesday wasn't a good day, weather wise (well, I suppose it depends on your point of view - Gardeners - loved it, Mums with School age children - Hated it, Me - I was indifferent 'cos I was busy doing indor stuff) because it rained off and on - and not just light showers either.

Just before the first downpour, the grounds maintenance contractors turned up to cut the communal grass and trim the shrubs - then the heavens opened.  Last time I looked, they were sitting in their van ....  When I went downstairs at about 5.45pm, said grass cutting persons were still in their van - then there was a load of rumbling and hissing air brake noises and this turned up .....

This being a very large Recovery Truck.  Said driver got out and the bonnet was opened of the sick van and after a few minutes of chin stroking (as blokes do) said van sparked into life - leaving huge Recovery Truck having to reverse back down the road - took him eight minutes.  I know - 'cos I stoood there and watched - lol

217/365 - And What's In Your Loft? ...

Today some workmen, all the way from Wales, came to visit.  After a bit of chat and a cup of coffee they set to and disappeared up in the loft.  After a while, they brought this lot down .....

This is a Heat Exchange system which has been in the house since the day I moved in - nearly 20 years ago (yikes - has it been that long).  I never really knew how it worked except that it would clear cooking condensation from the kitchen windows back in the days when I cooked and in the dead of night when all was still, you could hear this low pitched humming (so could my neighbour - lol).

There is 14 metres of that tubey stuff - loads and loads of ribbed aluminium, which could have been a crafting dream, but was razor sharp and surrounded in loft insultation and a type of nylon sock.  What I want to know is - how did it all fit in up there.  I have never been in my loft - bit of a scaredy cat on the loft ladder - lol - I just send the kids up there for the Christmas tree and whenever.

Nice workmen replaced the above with this ....

This time the tubey thing (which is in those four boxes) is all encased in a lightweight metallic looking sleeve - bit like what they wrap you in if you have hypothermia - not that I've ever had that - but I watch Casualty sometimes - lol.

I'm still not exactly certain what this thing does.  The new control panel on the kitchen wall looks very nice and only has three buttons to push - so it can't be that difficult - can it?

And the nice workmen - they didn't make a scrap of mess, asked to use the loo, only had two cups of coffee and were finished three hours ahead of time and have now headed off back to Wales - probably zipping down the M4 as I type .....

216/365 - Love It or Hate It ......

I found these in a well known supermarket - and I'm one of those who just LOVE Marmite - lol ....

Makes for a yummy snack ....

210/365 - My Baby And Her Babies .....

I still can't be there and I still can't see them but here's todays piccie - my daughter with The Gorgeous Ones (am going to think of a new name for the new baby) ..... 

I

She weighed in at 7lbs 6ozs and has been named Charlotte Kaylet .....
Can't wait to meet her .....

209/365 - The Picture of The Year ....

My new granddaughter .....

Nothing more to say - for once - lol .....

206/365 - I'm Out Of The Cupboard - But ....

Yesterday - I was politely, but firmly, told to go sit in a cupboard.  Not this one .....

And, not really a cupboard - more like an ante room.  Why you may be asking?  Well - here goes ....

Well for the last couple of days, I have had a rash, swelling and tenderness and feeling generally a bit under the weather.  Following a stern lecture from my lovely pal Sue aka 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' on Thursday night, off I toddle on Friday morning to see nice Doctor - and what did nice Doctor say?  Well, my dear, you have Shingles .....

Now this had had a serious impact -

I was having The Gorgeous One aka Finley William to stay for a few days, while his Mum is busy having his sister on Tuesday

Now - he can't come to stay, even though he has had chickenpox, I can't go and see my daughter, I won't be able to see the new baby for at least a week, I can't see my son  (who was coming to visit tomorrow) because he will be visiting his sister and the lovely Rachel hasn't had chickenpox and I can't see anyone else who might be having contact with my daughter or new baby.

I am totally gutted, my daughter is furious with me (I will allow her to be hormonal because she is pregnant -  but this is the last time), my son just said 'Unclean', 'Unclean' down the phone and my on-off gentleman friend said 'I'll see you when you're better then'.  Right now I feel like a social pariah ....

So - I am resting this weekend (rest - I've slept for England today - lol) and continuing to take the five a day drugs  (which are the size of torpedos and look as if they should be put in another bodily orifice) that  the nice Doctor gave me.  I shall go to work on Monday (someone has to do the VAT Return and it's only my rash that's contagious), then I will go an infect a major supermarket and then have the rest of the week off - which is what I would have been doing anyway.

All messages of sympathy will be greatly received ......

196/365 - A Little Gem - As Promised .....

Have had a fairly easy day today (for once) - I went on a training course this morning for Risk Assessments - great fun - and the lunch was good.  Then I nipped into work and immediately decided to sneak a couple of hours off.  So there I am, in the garden, in between showers and bemoaning the black fly on my runner beans - when this appeared ......

I would so love to go on a Balloon Flight - might have to treat myself ......

195/365 - An Abysmal Failure .....

It is 0.48 on day 195 and the last time I was here was Day 149 .....

Two things occur to me - (1) which Gail and I have already discussed - life is full of enough stress and angst without getting wound up over a few photos and (2) where does the time go?  In fact it's three things really - what on earth am I doing up this late - lol.

Soon the kids will be breaking up from School, soon the nights will really start closing in, soon there will be a hint of Christmas in the shops and some bright spark will be telling us how many shopping days left there are and soon it will be next year.

I am going to make every effort to resume this Blog - partly because I have just sat and read every entry prior to Day 149 and partly because I don't want to be an abysmal failure - lol - So I hope to be back later with some little gem out of my life .......

Bet you can't wait - lol ....

148 and 149/365 - Three for the Price of One .....

Yes, I know it's Saturday but came home from work yesterday and promptly fell asleep - so here's three for the price of one ....

On Thursday I was invited to a Sussex Crimestoppers seminar.  I have to say I was very impressed with what they do - it's not just the telephone number we all have heard about.  Anyways, in the car park as I came out, there was this ....

Police 1-Drug Dealer 0.  What a result ...

On Friday, I had a meeting with our professional HR advisor, who tells me that a car parking space has been reserved for me - get this ....

How posh is that - lol ....

And then today, Saturday, I have been shopping with my lovely daughter and The Satanic One, aka Finley William - he has entered the Terrible Twos with a vengeance .... Anyways before we all got soaking wet (my daughter thought it would be rather nice to trek round Haywards Heath - not, it was tipping it down - lol) - I bought so much stuff in a particular place, they gave me a free bag - lol

You never know there might, just might, be a post on my other Blog soon - but only if I can get some time to myself - lol .....

147/365 - And Then Came The Rain ....

Every year it's the same ....

In my garden, I have a large clump of those really big, blousy and glorious poppies.  This year, there are 14 buds almost on the verge of breaking out.

On Tuesday there was one, yesterday (Wednesday) two were out - and then today ....

Woke up and it had rained during the night.  Glad I took this photo yesterday ....

146/365 - Where Does The Time Go ....

Well, well, well - it has been 34 days since I last played here.  That is sooooooooo bad and I have failed miserably in the challenge of a photo a day.  So - where have I been?  Well to tell the truth - nowhere much.  All those life things have got in the way - mainly work (which continues to be challenging to say the least), sleeping and dealing with some family stuff.  But enough of the whining ....

I don't have a photo for today (well, I do really - in fact I have a couple but seeing as I've already failed, if I post them a couple of days after I took them, it won't really matter will it - lol .....

Last Thursday was The Gorgeous One aka Finley William's 2nd birthday (and again - where does  the time  go - lol) and his Mum and Dad held a party for friends and family.  Needless to say, there I was snapping away and just now when I took them off the camera, there were 68 of them - lol.  Here are a couple of good ones .....

Everyone playing Pass the Parcel ...

Guess what The Gorgeous One got for his birthday ....

Quite alarming how young they start nowadays - lol ...

 Gotcha ....

And just had to show this one - No. 1 Son, Matthew and the lovely Rachel getting all doe-eyed and broody over this tiny piece of Gorgeousness - Sarah - all of eight days old ......

More tomorrow - promise - lol ...

112/365 - The Movers and The Shakers ....

I went to Somerset yesterday to see my mum 'cos it was her 77th Birthday - Happy Birthday Mum ....

I like going down there because it's calm and quiet and peaceful - so all batteries should be recharged.  Are they hell - I woke up this morning with a streaming cold - and one of my better ones I have to say - with all the cold pouring out of my left eye - tomorrow it will be the right ...

Anyways - there I am 145 odd miles from home with impaired vision and feeleing like the proverbial - lol.  But I am a woman and made of sterner stuff than that and off I set.
Now - I don't have a problem with the A303 - it's quite a nice road  (nice scenery and  what I call the Breakfast Farm just past Stonehenge which always make me smile  - I've never seen so many pigs in one place - lol - there must be hundreds of them).  What makes it not a nice road are the single carriagway sections, the caravans and motorhomes, the sudden drop to 30mph zones, the Stonehenge bottleneck (it never ceases to amaze me how many hundreds of people go there - every day and walk around it.  I've probably said this before - but I remember as a child you could actually sit and climb all over the stones), Winterbourne Stoke and that stupid speed camera near the bottom of a long hill a few miles west of Winterbourne Stoke where, with a car like mine, you have to going at a bit of a lick to get up the damm thing because of the lorries and the caravans - lol.

Anyways I digress - there we are zipping along the A303 (all within the national speed limit  - of course ) when at one of the highest points of Salisbury Plain, a couple of miles west of Stonehenge, there suddenly appears a Police motorcycle outrider who brings everyone to a halt.   This ever increasing line of traffic sat there for about half an hour and then this appeared ......

It was H-U-G-E and a very impressive sight to see; and yes, it did move slowly and yes, the ground was shaking.  Apparently it had come from Middle Wallop and was going all the way to RAF Yeovilton - and that's rather a long way .....

So - I may have a stinking cold, I may feel like the proverbial and I may have to go to work tonight but at least I'm home and not travelling west along the A303 .....
Every cloud and all that ....

104/365 - Ladies That Do Lunch ....

Today I took a long lunch break.  Well deserved I thought - worked very late Monday, left the building late yesterday and a meeting tomorrow night, so another late one.  Anyways, me and a friend (ooops a friend and I - lol) went for lunch in a nearby garden centre - and very nice it was too ....

After lunch we had a browse round the establishment, looking at plants, pots, seeds, tools (I bought a pair of rather nifty diddy hand shears, just right for getting to the parts that the mower can't reach) and then in the china section I saw this ....

How cute is that and very en trende I thought ........

101/365 - A Peaceful Afternoon ....

Well - damn and blast missed Day 100 yesterday - but was busy busy. 

Anyways today was one of those really nice Sundays - pottering around at home and in the garden.  I spent some time messing around on the patio nearest the house (I have three patio areas - how posh am I - lol).  This area has a bit of a micro climate.  If faces south and is very sheltered and I love sitting here when I get home from work and even in the morning on really warm days.  Most of my garden is green planting.  The soil is really thick heavy Wealden clay which is nigh on impossible to grow flowers in.  I have a lot of euoynomous - very low maintenance, fairly quick growing and lovely shades of green.

So - here's a piccie one of my favourite parts of the garden .....

And the day's not over yet - lol .....

97/365 - Take More Water With It ....

Am a poorly person tonight 'cos I fell over today .....

Have you ever done that?  Well, this morning I did and I felt like a right lemon - and to make matters worse, you'll never guess where I fell - out of the front door - lol.

Don't ask me how or why, one minute I was right on up there - the next I was on the floor in a very inelegant heap.

I think what happened was that I took too long a stride over the door threshold and the trainers I was wearing (it was one of those days at the office when I was there but not - so the casual approach) caught the edge of the outside doormat cum foot scraper and bang.  I went to work but as the day wore on, the pain in my foot intensified and I didn't dare take the trainer off, so I came home early, smothered all affected areas with arnica, took some painkillers and had a sleep.

These are the offending trainers ......

These were bought for the NEC trip - all nicely broken in and all that but still quite stiff around the outside.  Not a bit like my other ones which were so sloppy and comfy but  which were destroyed in the washing machine while felting knitted hats - lol.

So here I am - feeling quite poorly and sorry for myself with one bruised foot, right side, right arm and right shoulder. 
Off now for another slathering in arnica, more painkillers and bed.  Sympathy please people ......

95/365 - So Much To Do ....

And so little time - now - lol.  What with the flat pack furniture, sorting out the craft room/office space and decorating this weekend - what happens today - no rain and a really quite nice day - which means one thing - the garden .....

Now although I can multi task along with the best of them, even I'm not that stupid to start something else this late into the Bank Holiday.  So - I contented myself with a quick snap out of the bedroom window (the one being decorated) .....

It looks a bit grey to me but trust me - it's a lovely day here in Sussex ....

By way of an update - no more decorating has been done today - simply couldn't face it.  Mind you might give the coving another coat of paint and do some polyfilling (not very good at that  but hey ho) - and do the walls next weekend.  The craft room/office space is all nice and tidy and craft stuff 'prettily arranged' -  funny how in the midst of all yesterday's chaos one thing was put away and hey presto - a tidy room.  Want to see the new unit - then click here ....

Off for toast and coffee and might have a play in my newly tidied room ....

94/365 - It's What Bank Holiday Weekends Are For - Isn't It?...

Missed yesterday because was too busy 'prettily arranging'  craft stuff in the newly put together flat pack furniture and emptying what was my daughter's room.  Absolute bedlam - there was craft stuff on the floor still waiting patiently for a home; the other bedroom had to be emptied - so more stuff was piled along the landing and at the top of the stairs.  Couldn't get to the loo because I just threw it all out on to the landing - lol.  Health and safety nightmare - lol.  It will be an adventure getting into bed tonight - lol.

Anyways, as the morning progressed, said room got emptier and emptier, wheelie bin got fuller and fuller, car got even more fuller with stuff for the dump.  Honestly, the stuff we accumulate - this has certainly been a down-sizing exercise.  Finally with almost empty room, I started doing that thing that hundreds of men across the land are being nagged to do this weekend - decorating.  First off the ceiling - there I am perched on my sturdy (well almost) step ladder with - would you believe - a 4" brush.  Number one son has obviously been down the single lady's paintbrush box - lol ....  The ceiling is aertex and it's only getting one coat - hence a brush and not a roller - but 4 inches - wait until I see him next ....

This room was last decorated ages ago, I'm ashamed to say.  My daughter did it (well you have to let them have a go, don't you).  I liked her colour scheme but the trouble was she hadn't learnt about cutting in and not going over the lines.  Everytime, I went in there, I just used to shut my eyes - lol.

Doing the walls tomorrow .... It will be good to go back to work for the rest - lol ....

92/365 - Flat Pack Furniture ....

I really don't know what I was thinking of last Monday - flat pack furniture - yikes !!!!!  Anyways I bought this ....

This being a type of cube storage unit on wheels (reminds me of when my kids were at primary school - lol). for my craft room/office.  It stood in the hall all week - partly because I was hoping that someone might just come and put it together for me, partly because I was busy with other things and partly because it was too damn heavy to lug up the stairs.

Today, after having a particularly bad day at work yesterday, I was up really early and as I always do when I am fed up, angry or distressed - I cleaned.  I worked clockwise round downstairs - kitchen, sitting room and hall and thought 'Go For It' - lol.  Said box was dragged upstairs, opened, contents checked - and then I went back downstairs again for coffee and toast. Stop being such a girl I told myself and plodded back up the stairs - here's stage one ....

Note the torn instructions and my single lady tool box

All the screws were put in with an alun key - so not too difficult.  To put the castors  in, there was only one guide hole, so I used a bradawl - aren't you impressed.  I wasn't though because number one son had obviously 'borrowed' my diddy Philips screwdriver and all that was in the box was one that would have been more at home on a North Sea oil rig - lol - and I now have a blister on the palm of my hand - poor me ....

So - here's the finished article ....

At some stage I will stain or varnish it but not today - lol.  I just want to get this room tidy.  Will post a piccie  tomorrow of my new furniture when it's looking all crafty ....

88/365 - Anyone For Cake .....

Today was a Life Event for me - so I had another day off work.  I don't think anyone should work on their Birthday.  So my **th year began (there are a number of varieties of them - lol) with a bit of a lie in; I was going to have breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs (always a Life Event ritual) but did  a bit of crafting instead; and then lovely daughter arrived with The Gorgeous One aka Finley William.  Finley had made his nanny a Cake ....

Before the cake, we went shopping.  Most unfortunately, I bought a shelving storage unit for the craft room/office.  Lovely you might say - downside - flat pack.  That has got to be worth a couple of days piccies at least - lol.

Anyways, after shopping we had tea and THE CAKE - it was absolutely scrumptious, despite the hole in the middle - I wonder how that happened - lol ......

All in all a good day.  Should really wash kitchen floor before bed - covered in choccie cake and hundreds and thousands - lol ....

86/365 - The Result of Shopping ....

Is this ....

I've just come back from the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC where, apart from having a fabulous time with the lovely Sue and Anita and new friend, Carol, I am all spent out - in more ways than one - lol.
My purse is empty, I am aching like I have swum the Channel and back again, I am tired - but I am happy.  You can read more about the adventure here ....
Oh yes - and I have received more complaints that I am slipping behind again - lol.  It's not really ten days since the last post because I was away for three of them - so that makes seven days behind.
I am going to try harder - promise ....

76/365 - Quelle Surprise ....

There I was -  sitting at my desk happily going through a tea trolley piled high with paper that the former incumbent of my new job had left behind (one and a half black sacks full in the end - to say nothing of what went through the shredder) - when the phone rang.

It was my lovely hairdresser daughter who had taken my box of cards (including Chrissie ones in a carrier bag) to one of her clients - and brought back this ....

 Not bad, I thought - not bad at all ....

75/365 - What A Cracker ......

Not a lot happened today - unless you call a plumber failing to ask for a Hot Works Permit to do some soldering and filling the building with a disgusting smell that caused the people in it to panic, filling a skip and helping at least five young mums book their Little Jimmy's first birthday party (each one takes at least half an hour - some of them haven't a clue) - lol.

So this is a photo I acquired onj Saturday from my daughter who was showing me photos of Finley William aka The Gorgeous One from her Facebook page (I have one of those but I can't keep up with the amount of stuff she puts on hers - lol).

Anyway - I digress - I think this one is hilarious .......

74/365 - Naughty But Nice .....

Oh my word - I have been a naughty blogger - I will get complaints again - lol.  

It has been ten days since I last shared my life and truth to tell - not that much has happened.  Pretty much the same old stuff - work, come home, mess around, bed, work and so on and so forth ....  I did take some piccies over this last weekend and was going to post those but I thought I would share this instead .....

 

On the daily lunch run to the Co-Op round the corner from work - these were in a massive pile right by the tills.  So naughty of them to do that - but it would have been rude not to at 99p a box.  

They are absolutely scrummy - and did I say share -  

not in a million - lol ......

Note to self - must take prepare lunch at home and take to work so as to avoid temptations like this - lol

63/365 - Special Delivery .....

When I got to work yesterday morning there was a box waiting for me .....

I have all my craft shopping delivered to work and I had been eagerly waiting for this one.  The pizza box is full (well not full full - even I'm not that bad about rubber stamps - lol) of the new release of Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 stamps - absolutely gorgeous.

As a nation, Great Britain produces some really good stuff and if you think about it - we invented most things.  Time and economics have moved us on though and even in the crafting world, the Americans are streets ahead - the quality and design of their craft items, particularly tools and rubber stamps are excellent. It's a bit like my knitting needles (see the post about knitting earlier than in the year) - precision German engineering.

We are spoiled I think - we can have strawberries and runner beans all year round; summer fruits in the winter; root veg in the summer; and exotic food all year round - from all over the globe.  Food though,  when I can be bothered to cook, is one thing though that I do try and buy British.  I am a great one for 'seasonal recipes and meals' - stews and casseroles in the winter and salads in the summer.  I love Welsh spring lamb, English new potatoes with mint (and butter - lol), locally grown salad and vegetables, English Cheddar cheese - and there's a very nice Vineyard not far away with some excellent local produce.

So, in some ways it's a shame about the photo - American products; in a box probably made somewhere on the other side of the world; advertising an Italian dish - but the delivery was from Wantage in Oxfordshire - lol ....

62/365 - Slaving Over a Hot ......

Photocopier - bet that surprised you - lol ....

 

I was doing a favour for a couple of friends and spent nearly three quarters of an hour standing there. This is just a basic copier and takes ages, plus it gets quite hot - still at least I was doing something useful - lol ....

60/365 - A Beautiful Day ....

And the picture says it all .........

No more need be said ....

59/365 - Being A Bit Of An Anorak .....

I have been to Stevenage today - on the train (if you want to know why you will  have to click over to my other Blog  here ...) 

I like travelling by train, particularly when I haven't been on a particular route before.  This morning was no exception - I set off on the first train out at 7.31am - yikes - and then changed at Three Bridges (just south of Gatwick) to catch the Brighton to Bedford train (how on earth has that route survived).  The route went through south London to the Elephant and Castle .... here's a photo out of the train window of the London Eye in the distance (if you click on the photo you can see the Eye better) ....

on to Blackfriars (this is on Blackfriars Bridge - see here to find out what it is ....

 though Faringdon Street and then into St Pancras International.

I had to laugh at the Network Rail web site which gives 31 minutes to walk from St Pancras to Kings Cross - it's just out of the station, cross the road, down an alley and there you are.

There was a bit of time before the non-stop train to Stevenage, so I went in search of this ......

 

I have to be truthful and say that my photo is appalling - so I've borrowed this one.  On my next touristy visit to Lodon, I will go again and take a better picture.

On the way back, I had a mooch around St Pancras - home of the Eurostar ....

And this has to be one of THE most beautiful statues .....

So as a member of the travelling public I had a good day - with one exception - at Finsbury Park and West Norwood Stations there were loads of beautiful hanging baskets full of summer flowers and vibrant greenery - all PLASTIC - shame on them - lol ....
Looking forward to my next train travel experience - when I will be travelling FIRST CLASS  .....

58/365 - A Funny Old Day ....

It's been one of those days where you think you know what you want to do but when you start doing it you don't; you know there are things that you should be doing but you can't get going; and generally just a bit of a peculiar day - no enthusiasm and no motivation - which was a bit unfortunate because I had set myself the task of clearing out the craft room/office and the other spare bedroom - again - lol .....

I sort of started in the spare room and came across an envelope of photographs that I had been using for my Family Tree. 

 

This is my Mum and Dad who got married in 1951.  They couldn't afford to have the wedding photos mounted in an album, all they could afford then was the proof photos.  A couple of years ago I  scanned  them all and then made my Mum a Wedding Album with the originals, which she loved.

This is one of my favourites .....

57/365 - Oopsy Daisy ....

This photo was taken yesterday of something that happened last Saturday night - lol ....

 

This is the village duck pond in a village near me.  The car appeared there last Sunday morning and has caused a great deal of attention - lol.  After all, it's not often you see something like this.  The strangest thing is the car went into the pond from the left of the photo and the road is at the front - how did it get to be facing the road?  Stranger still, all the ducks (and there were quite a few) have disappeared.

All over last weekend people were there taking piccies but yesterday was my first opportunity.  No-one seems to know the hows, whys and wherefors - but my daughter is on the case - lol ...... 

56/365 - A Little Bit Of What You Fancy .....

A large proportion of Monday and Thursday evenings are spent at evening meetings at work.  The time I get home varies from 9pm to after 11pm.  Tonight was midway between the two and I did what I usually do .....

I had a bowl of Cornflakes.  These are something I'm really partial to.  I am a naughty person because I don't do breakfast, except when I'm at home for the day but I do like a bowl of Cornflakes in the evening - supper I suppose you'd call it.

Anyways this is tonight's portion - before the milk and sugar because they would have gone all soggy - lol.  The bowl is on a dinner plate so that when I carry it upstairs the milk doesn't slop everywhere - so sensible aren't I - lol.

Have to let you into secret - I took the photo for today this morning (and quite a good one it is too- not technically but content - lol) but poured out my Cornflakes and posted this instead - so you 'll  have to come back tomorrow ......