Pretty good one!

Well it's been what you'd call productive, this weekend. It had been a busy week so we started the way we meant to go on...quick trip to B&Q, a bit of a laugh, as true to form we did bump into Sarah and family, just as you do when you haven't seen people in ages(!), picked out some sample papers for Kate's room overhaul and then a Domino's Pizza for our supper... tried the VegiVolcano thin crust and it must have been thin, I even ate half the whole thing!

Saturday I set to nice and early and enrolled Kate in my plan, so by lunchtime we had cleared the kitchen and prety much painted half of it. The second half took a bit longer but mainly down to a quick second coat (to avoid the stained effect one coat had caused) and also the cleaning I had to do on everything before it went back.. thank god for the eco cycle on my dishwasher, everything went in, vases, ornaments and all kinds of plastic and metal!

You wouldn't really notice it's been done as the room was already red, but now it's all one red, rather than the history of the B&Q red paint chart of the last ten years!  We chose to use matt now so covering the multitude of sins which makes up my kitchen which has been a permanent temporary item for the last eight years or more...though I am promised the new room is on the 2012 agenda, the nuclear industry expansion permitting...(long story but it's definitely an area not suffering from cutbacks, but I guess with the 25 year plus clean-up operation anyone on the supplier list can be sure to get some work at least!)

As is the way, Col set to and did almost the same amount of painting in about an hour and a half ... he did the dining end (so much less 'stuff') and covered so many damp spots and previous grim places, that the whole place has a nice new air..to those that know. So next weekend when Zac comes home we may even have ourselves a little house of Advent..those pinecones and my favourite red lit branch will have pride of place in time to enjoy it a bit before we go away... it's unheard of for me to get festive before about mid-December, so I'm quite chuffed, not least of all to have autumn-cleaned (as opposed to spring..!)

Zac sent a lovely pic on Google + today, the first time I've seen him in uniform, quite lovely. He has been on a chart simulator weekend at HMS Collingwood and I think there was a bit of rivalry with the Navy Cadets who went as well!

Oh and if you think that wasn't busy I had the girls over for the afternoon, but it was great, amazing how restful it can be when you have someone else's 9 month old to care for.. you just can't let them go for fear of them getting into something they shouldn't, so we played, made cards (the three year old of course!) And watched plenty of Barney and Pingu, certainly a lot less stretching and up and down steps than yesterday.

Tomorrow Jb and Lisa are taking me out for my birthday.. well the tickets were my present back in September.... the Vagina Monologues, not sure what's in store but a grown-up evening with my big girls and some rest time for all of us (they have been so so busy both of them..)

... thought you might like this little pic.. can't imagine what the 'gossip' thing's in aid of, can you?! Xxxxxx

Bl#!?dy Blogger!

I have been posting to the blog via Blogger but then having a lot of trouble tweaking the photo size / positionand editing in some extra words.. serves me right maybe for trying to work on it away from the computer and in front of the TV instead, but i need to at least try and relax a bit!

Currently Col is watching some great programmes in Easter Island and other fantastic underwater footage, just seeing the box fish, the sharks even and the parrot fish makes us even keener to get back on holiday and notch up some snorkelling hours....yes, three weeks and counting! Oh remotote-itis sets in and suddenly I'm watching penguins playing with a cameraman... not many of those at the equator!

Mustn't forget a hi to Karen and Yvonne, we had a really good catch up at the weekend, whilst our men put the technical world to rights. Those girls put me to shame on the photography front, but well I can't do everything just now, but I sure would like to!

Looking forward to an early Chrsitmas scrap session at Newlyn, I think there's a good crowd brewing and a god feed too!

(she writes after reverting to old faithful PC.. and keyboard heaven!)

Busy, busy..

Feeling guilty for not posting on Sunday, as has been the norm of late, especially as I was out shopping in Truro and met my cousin who is one of my readers..(hi Sarah, it was nice to see you and catch up!) I was thinking..Funny isn't it, how you have people you know and meet who you feel so much affinity with and who share the same history with you, but you never really take time out to meet properly and socially. Maybe we're all more comfy with the spontaneous meeting than a 'proper do..those fleeting conversations are like the top up you need and the spontaneity is almost part of it..(I'm starting to sound like Carrie in SITC now, asking myself and the imaginary, or even the real reader these deep and meaningful (?) questions..)

Anyways, back to the news... our pals Fran's and Leslie have been emailing, they're out in New Zealand on a camper van tour, they sound real chilled out even after the mega flights from Holland...about 23 hours I think!   Hopefully they'll post a few pics which will be worth seeing and there's a link on my favourite blogs to the right.

Work has been frantic, lots of work coming in and units going out. The guys (most of them bar the sane ones!) Are sporting moustaches for Movember. ..and some of them are reprimanding the others for sporting goaties or beards rather than true moustaches..who knows where they'll be by 30th and we have customers visiting that day..may be worth a photo?

Last weekend I did a sortie to Truro and knocked another lot of Christmas shopping on it's head, wrapping it up on Sunday, I am quite a smug ( for smug read 'not too stressed at the moment ) bunny!  Oh and I fed the cakes.. Pops has donated the last of his brandy for the cause and the cakes are smelling great and looking moist already.  Yesterday JB did some cookie baking for her pal's birthday and also tested out a nice fruit puff pastry dessert idea for Christmas.. so easy and looked and tasted Fab!

A Different Scream..

I often finish the day with some speed scrapping, and this is yesterday's offering Still with 'Scream' in mind Iused this for the title because it kind of describes Jordan's face.. and we won't mention my lack of motherly concern for her will we!  If you look closely you can see the cause for concern... Lisa has a mackeral threaded onto her finger and was surely enjoying the effect on her little sister!  

I can remember being really scared as a child, taken out in the boat on a fine Sunday and Dad catching a few mackeral which were put in the fishrooms;all that separated me from the crazy fish was a wooden seat.. I must have made my Mum and Dad wonder what kind of 'cove girl' they had on their hands, being so scared of the family bread and butter!

The photo was taken on a great little boat Colin had once, it was a former Dutch army vessel with an air cooled engine which shot an envelope of warm air up the gunnels and made a trip out all the more enjoyable in a cold wind!

Scrapping Saturday.

Great day today, small crew but messy play and some lovely layouts It's amazing how many variations you can have on the theme. As it was Hallowe'en recently I remembred a grI also used eat pic we had of Lisa and Zac many years ago...and sure enough I found the
photo and used it today. Loved the red / gold/ green /black paints and inks, wish I  did enough in between sessions to make buying lots of different pots realistic!

I also managed to incorporate a nice image from the Spiderwitch Chronicles, love using that transfer paste and having  spooky character in the layout.