365/213 Stronger.

Great day today, decided last night to take Lilly over to the Minack for a kid's show, just an hour long, puppets and stuff.. local guy, really fun and boy, what it takes to roll with the punches as a kid's entertainer!  

We also took flowers to the church for my mum and dad and looked in the church, then a little discovery walk where I grew up, quietly tip-toeing along the riverbank in case we could spot a trout, telling her some of the nostalgia stories of when I was a kid...(well she is new blood and I haven't bored her with any of it yet... hahah.. Lisa will laugh when Lilly starts telling her my stories Lisa thought she had heard the last of!)

We called in on an old friend of my Mum's, she is 89 on Saturday and I wanted to sneak in some birthday wishes before she is inundated with visitors over the weekend. She is very forgetful now but luckily able to stay in her own home, doesn't wander and is always laughing and enjoying seeing people, so that makes this time of their life, caring for her a little easier on her family.

It's an odd thing dementia, takes each person differently and consequently the effects on the family, I often wonder if they one day know they are losing their memory and choose to not mention it, or if the condition itself leaves you in a place where you never actually realise.

Lilly and I had lots of conversation, she has a huge vocab and asks very pointed questions for a 4 year old and I try to answer, but then worry that poor M&D will have to answer even more questions later! Today a big topic was coffee ice cream which I got the drift that she liked but didn't have when out with Mum so I thought we'd go for a small one.. only after she had eaten it and I relayed the story at home did I hear from Lisa that it was 'toffee'.. well, good intentions!

I took a whole bunch of pictures, Lilly mostly, eating or drinking!  then I looked at the prompt..

.. the White Gate bridge is falling down at penberth, huge pieces of granite standing proud where recent rain has put paid to the cement and earth which binds it together.  There is a steel grid there, and  Keep Out sihgn, I guess they are going to make it 'stronger'

Over at St. Levan Church there are some gorgeous agapanthus, loads at the Minack too.. stronger colours this year, maybe the sun / rain combination! 

And the same door handle at the church I can remember as a child.

Every time I use it I remember having to learn that you pull it towards you and turn whilst it is pulled ..always difficult when we were young to master something the grown-ups knew so well..I like going back there, the draw gets stronger and there is something lovely about the familiarity and reliability of the things still being there fifty years on...

365/212 Dive

Loved seeing today's prompt! Not that we are a family of budding Tom Daleys, but knowing that we have lots to choose from, and it is an opportunity for me to wax lyrical about my Col. (But incidentally hats off to Tom Daley, what a fantastically dedicated lad, a great personality and ambassador for youth, sport, GB, whatever he wants to promote..he will surely be a celebrity in the correct sense, in that he has a talent and will earn the status not just let it fall upon him because of his gorgeous tan and smile (which incidentally he has and no Towie about it!!)


The house has been quite quiet as the kids are all working (and playing) and we are enjoying meals for two or three, even missing meals if we fancy, just pleasing ourselves!  Ross was in for tea and afterwards Col dug out some old pictures for my prompt, they will be copies but worth posting for the memory..




Fort William



So, way back when, about 1985 Col trained to be a Commercial Diver and later did his Saturation qualification as well. It was quite a big deal really, we knew quite a few guys who did this and it generally meant giving up a run of the mill job, investing time and most of the money you had in pursuit of a potentially exciting well piad career,but withthe danger and risks associated with being at the bottom of the ocean or dam or whatever, at the mercy of the weather and dependant on hoses of hot watr, gas and communications from the surface, again tended by another person.. the ultimate 'your life in their hands'

Diving gear!

He worked all over the place, dams in Spain, offshore in the North Sea, Norway and Gibraltar.

Dive Control.

Later on his love of all things engineering and ''big kit' led him to run civil engineering jobs and a less exotic lifestyle living in caravans and B&Bs working on submarine bases and installing equipment for the MOD, but having a lot more to do with making the job happen.. he always did like getting things done his way!

Gal Constructor

One of our civils jobs took him to India with his trusty band of men...we are still in touch with some of them and it was a busy busy time, with several young kids and every job needing to stand alone and make things work!  Nice now not to have to worry about how bad weather can make or break the profitability of your job!

As you can imagine Colin jumped at the chance to go look for shipwrecks in the Maldives in about 1990, that was before I was with him.. knew him though.. so when we went there on holiday he knew it would be brilliant for diving / snorkelling and the kids took to it so so well... 

365/209-211 Fire /Rings/Heavy..

Well here I am playing catch up, no real excuse, just lack of specific inspiration for the words during each day.  It cannot go unmentioned that Friday saw the opening of the 2012 London Olympic Games.  I agree that it is a major event and that in parts it will inspire the country and encourage the lovely community feel we had last year for the Royal Wedding and in June for the Queen's Jubilee, and for that I think we will all agree that there is value.. anything that makes us Brits peek out from under the polite table cloth and shout from the roof tops about our solidarity is good, there is way too much negativity in our media that it sometimes makes you feel we are just not good enough..

.. but, and anyone who knows me will know that I have never been 'Sporty Spice' , sadly this is just not really my bag.. and with a fear of retribution.. it is only sport isn't it? All that money, all that hype, if only we could have the same enthusiasm and money fed into our everyday lives surely we'd be dragged kicking and screaming from recession overnight.. well not overnight, but for sure the money would help a lot of ordinary people who are not in the primes of their lives.. (I could go on but...)

..stepping down off soapbox I cannot disagree though with Jennie and my fellow 365ers, the opening ceremony was amazing, and it must have been a real spectacle to be there.. quintessentially 'English'and we wondered what the world at large would think of the tableaux, the NHS beds and olde English gentle folk etc.. not to mention the inclusion of the Dambusters and Enola Gay, but hopefully no-one delved too deep on that! Loved the music too, shows our age doesn't it when we remember it all!

So, the kids have all been busy and Col and I have played catch up over the weekend.. I did the food shop Friday so that was a box ticked and yesterday I helped Kate get a new phone (accident prone bunny dropped the last one.. it now looks like a piece of artwork! ..maybe a picture for a prompt one day! )

This morning our Zac called and we both had a great chat with him, I think he may even be missing home a little.. maybe?   Only about five weeks and he'll be home for a few weeks before his two terms back at college.. but plenty to do in the time off.. sort accommodation, get a car and oh yeah, get his uniform washed and ironed.. mmm, mum's love to feel wanted don't they!!

I had a serious hoover today, the whole house, it may make me sound really lazy but generally 'someone' does the worst looking bits as and when but it is a full day job to work through throwing stuff out and getting into the corners... bloody hell, how dull is that!! But I think I am scrapbooking next Saturday so it was a now or.. whenever and I got with it.. hence the dull pictures...

Fire... I like this painted bottle I bought from the farmshop which used to be next door, just when we moved here.. it has a tree on it but I always think it looks like it is on fire.

Rings..whilst cleaning this came to mind, a long boat like candle holder. (damn.. lost the pic!)

Today's actual prompt was heavy.. our two sofas are beasts to move and this was how they were half way through the tidy.. I try to swap them round, not sure why but I do!

Ahhh I feel better now, a little ranting, some housework which 'shows' and will not be undone for at least a day, and up to date on old prompt-ville.. xx

365/208 Infinity.

So the young guns in our office suggested the 8 on its side like several of the others but i was waiting for revelation to occur... and it did.. quick one tonight.. the infinity pool at Kuramathi where we have spent so many hours recouperating from dreary tiring years..

And then you find a picture of where the sky meets the sea but sees to go on and on and on...only the changing blues give you an idea.. 

Out there, even underwater you get a sense of endless blue...

365/207 Multiples.

Well I was sorted early on this morning for this prompt. Usually I veg out with tea and then coffee whilst I wake up or cook Col some porridge (and Kate something with eggs usually if it's a school day) til everyone has left the house and then retire to shower and stuff til work.

Today I took a different tack.. JB was off to work early (did I say she is working with Ross at a harbourfront bar/ grill in St Ives and is loving learning so much about cooking and serving up all kinds of food. She feels valued and although busier than her waitressing job it is so much more 'definite' hours and not so much maybe hours..she used to wait for hours some days when expecting to be called in.

I ironed her work tee-shirt and then everything else.. multiple shirts for Col but it was nicer than having to set to it after tea on lovely sunny days!

Yesterday Jordan made multiple croissants!!.. from start to finish and although quite small they were scrummy.. a little labour intensive I'd say but a resounding success from a baking point of view... chocolate ones next she says!

And finally Kate said 'joy' when I told her that her Maths teacher had sent her some homework in the post..including multiples of course!

365/206 1,2,3...

..well I must have been over blogging the last couple of days because I have been bereft of a great idea today for the prompt and envy all my fellow 365ers who have done us proud..


1,2,3, Go?


3,2,1.. and lets see what Dusty Bin is hiding..? (Cols best offering)

... so I did what all good bloggers do, they look to the 'library' for inspiration.. ahahh..

1: Sapphire Princess : Zac's first sea posting.. (he called today and 5 should be the number as it is the number of times we got cut off before we gave up and said our goodbyes.. )

 2: Long legs..

3: paper cranes JB made and photographed on holiday!

365/205 Nine.

Knowing the prompt earlyish in the day I had the number in mind.. here is my first one.. nine parts of out train tickets yesterday, I can never work out which bit is the ticket and the reservation!

Decent day in the office, needed a rest really as it was a busy weekend... but the phones are quiet as lots of folk are on holiday I suppose, gives us chance to catch up on the orders we do have! Shame we aren't like some of our European suppliers and have two or even four weeks shutdown in summer!

Tides and the sun was still with us at 5pm so we grabbed a few hours in the boat with Pops and Jb, and April came too as Ross was surfing.. turns out she is a lucky charm and we caught (more than) 9 mackerel... I am trying to pin some more pictures in but tablet blogging seems to freeze after a few images!? Does anyone else suffer with this problem?

We took some nibbley food and Jb was immersed in her latest book.. almost sacrilege to have her head in a book when most would be gazing at the wonderful scenery!

9pm... we took some great little pictures as five of us in an inflatable boat made our way back to shore.. and missed the chip shop but (well I should say nine) but about five minutes!

So this was our 9pm..

(Will try to add these shortly!.. ahh there we are!)

Had to show you this house at Lamorna.. there used to be a quarry there and two huge piles of stone sit silent behingd some cottages.. I have always been unnerved seeing them there, but apparently stone has its own special slope and if its okay its stable.. not sure I'd think that if I was buying the house..

365/204 One.

One early morning, train travel for me and three girls in the carriages marked with a '1', free coffee they said, well okay it was on the way up but none on the way back....hmmm!!

Long day, but fine weather and plenty of bags from a shopping trip.. one snack, one lunch stop and one weary family!  Girls all now doing their own things and I have my own purchases in my one new bag (I liked it as it is a beachy boaty bag for summer and proved its worth today by carrying everything from our one favourite H&M shop!)

Supper done and one tired set of legs settled down to blog and ponder the ones chosen by my 365 colleagues!!

365/203 Three's a Crowd!

Warning : photo heavy post today! (and phone camera at that but bear with me...)

I laughed when I saw this was the prompt.. Col and I were on our way out to the boat and his Dad was going to join us later!!  Six or seven is a crowd on the boat and we have done it in the past, three is actually just fine and it is nice seeing Ken / Pops enjoying time out fishing, messing about on the water and just generally being with us.

I am turning into 365er Anne now as I took some nice pics of the sky.. so lovely to see blue and a sun.. if only weather didn't get in the way of that lovely sun!

It was pretty flat and any wind went over us when we got close in, so we could skirt round some of the huge granite outcrops.. I just so love being out there and Col has got one of those clever all singing and dancing SatNav for boat type things which lets us get close in safely... he just loves his gadgets!

These little guys are actually quite big and the black ones (locally called shags ;-/) do amazingly fast dives to catch fish.

 Pops always loves fishing, we didn't get many today, a few mackerel and sand eel.. yeah, so we called and bought so tuna from Tesco for our tea...don't report me to the sustainability police, it is just too much our favourite!!

 This picture cracked me up.. it sure looks like Col is not happy.. maybe he was thinking 'Three's a Crowd'.. I think not, probably just his default thinking face!

 

 It was obviously not that warm as the local beaches were pretty deserted, we Cornish take a few days good weather to actually believe the warmth is here..mind you Tesco was full of pastey coloured blokes in shorts and looking uncomfortable having to do a food shop with kids in tow.. not the way office bods from out of county want to spend the first evening of a holiday really!

The Mount isn't open on a Saturday, change over day I guess and even the boatmen get a day off.. and at 6pm this evening it was surely like a holiday island paradise..

This bulk carrier was in the bay so we went over to have a look.. it only has a few crew, probably about ten or twelve. I always think that some of the people doing Zac's course are on these ships, almost the opposite of the 'customer' heavy market cruise ships are in. I guess you certainly have to enjoy your own company and be an avid reader to make time pass on there..

Can you imagine though, having to leave the ship in a crisis.. the lifeboat would go underwater after being laubched off that skid on the back! And in bad weather too!

Last couple..for the tour guide in me.. this is the minack theatre, cut out of the cliff just by Porthcurno..I am hoping to take Lilly there one day soon for morning puppet show. She saw the Twits there and loved it.

And especially for my Col, the tee-shirt JB bought him, he was a true brick today, he knows how good it is for me.. and consequently him I suppose..

.. me and the girls are shopping in Plymouth tomorrow.. so I hope the prompt is appropriate.. xx

Night night.. xx

365/202 Matched pair

Writing a day late (Saturday) and timing was good.. as we left the harbour on the Mount Col spotted the Sailing Club buoys and said 'there's your Matching Pair'..how good is he!  To be honest there were four but in two pairs of pairs!  I think they will make a fun thumbnail when everyone looks at the 365 page!

Not much to report from yesterday so that suits me too.. Zac called about 3pm but kept losing the link so we didn't have great flow, but I think life here and there is same old, same old.. so long as we are all okay and he is still enjoying learning lots and meeting lots of new people and places then we're happy.

More about today to tell but this is one of those daft 'arm's length' pictures of another Matched Pair...can you see him thinking.. just get on with it!!

Oh and a Happy Birthday for yesterday to Ken, still my Big Brother.. it's a daft thing we always say to each other like we were kids....I remember sometimes he used to have a play fight with my Dad, very light.. what we would call a scruff ... I would have been about 6 or 7 and Ken 17 or 18 so I would get upset and tell him to stop as he might 'hurt my Daddy'

(I guess as a young kid I always knew my Dad was not well, he was often weary and never able to rush, but it wasn't really something we talked about...)  Ken would say 'he's my Daddy too and I'm older than you'  to which I would reply 'ahhh but if I live longer than you he will have been my Daddy longer'  and Ken would tease me back..'but even if we're dead he'll still have been my Daddy first'

Not sure how my Mum must have felt about that conversation, so innocent and yet we kids, even Ken as a teen, couldn't have known that those days would be irrelevant as Dad would die before I was nine and Ken 20. 

We went out west today in the boat, some spiritual topping up for me and some repeated images for this blog but I will never tire of these rocks...

We went past Penberth and could see the rusty scar on the slipway (caunce) and it was one of those moments when I wonder at the fact that it is the same view Dad and Ken had in the 50's and 60's and probably our Grandad a hundred years ago.. and every pulling up of a boat along that caunce has made the ridge and marking what it is today... touching history.. simple yet for me it is like a race memory or something, however odd that seems.

365/201 Cheese.

So at last I am back on track and not a day behind, have been blogging in retrospect, just don't seem to have been inspired the last few days, maybe not much happening here, or perhaps too much ..but the weekend approaches and sunshine they say..a trip out in the boat we hope and to Plymouth shopping with my three girls (a six monthly event for Lisa's birthday and then pre-Xmas..Mum's treat, we even go 1st class on the train and get free coffees which is just about even!)

..and so to the prompt ...I cannot imagine a life without cheese.. we always have cheese in the fridge and on special occasions I buy smelly blue cheese and garlic cheese, but only when there are other people here to eat it with me!

Normally we have cheese at least once a day, Mexicana hot cheese and pepper Boursin are great but we always always have cheddar! I wonder if Colin and our pal Simon might tire of cheese s/w for lunch but I do ring the changes with coleslaw and stuff and pasties some days and if customers visit we buy lunch in.. so I look forward to that.. like tomorrow.. our friends from the MoD visiting! 

The first is my cheese drawer today and the next is an old snap of my favourite buy for Christmas evenings in with visitors!

...........................

So this evening I thought I'd do a bit more on the layout for the Happy Scrappers Challenge.. the theme is Birthday Celebrations and I found a great set of pictures Jordan took of Lilly last year blowing out the candles on her cake and of course directing the cutting operation. The pointed finger and the frown are just so 'her', we love every ounce of her and her brilliant attitude, although it's a full time job pacing yourself with her so as to not let her get the upper hand (too much!)

I used an idea from another layout and made some bunting which threaded really well onto some gold wire which keeps it firmer and twisted.

So glad I made the green sheet of '3' paper fit, all it needed was some distressing with pink and star masking on the striped Stamping Up paper I used for the backing.

I must have bought that way back when.. well before she was born I guess!