kathijoonmyfamilyandothera(nimals)

365/41 Heart.

2012-02-10T22:03:00.001Z

..not much to offer today, just a warm heartfelt hello across the world to our Zac who's ship has arrived in the Hawaiin islands. He is about ten hours behind us which is easy to visualise in the evenings knowing he is having his morning, but during our mornings it feels odd to think he's asleep.

I think the guys we work with think I'm a little crazy, keeping an eye on the itinerary and knowing where they are, what the bridge webcam shows... but I feel safe in the knowledge that he would be the same if we were away, he embraces everything technical and showed me how to find the info himself. I tweeted him today to say how warm it looks out there, compared to here, and added the hashtag #stalkingmum !!! xx

365/40 Compact.

2012-02-09T22:42:00.000Z

I picked up the prompt early this morning and am getting quite good at having the word running beneath the surface, on the prowl for a link. I didn't have to but I took Kate down to school and really enjoyed the drive, a crispy frosting over all the hedgerows.. would have made good 'fence' pics yesterday!

Just as I dropped Kate I grabbed the moment and banked this pic.. the ubiquitous compact of blusher.. or as they call it now.. bronzer. Some blurring as I was under pressure not to embarass her at the school gate!

Good dqy pretty much, nice and bright, pretty perky all round and over lunch the light came on and I realised there was another pic to be taken..and the chance to show off Ross' handiwork. It was about a fifteen months ago when he expressed the wish to create himself a 'cabin' in the garden.. to be fair, at the time he was sleeping in our tiny 8x6 bedroom and his feet were almost hanging out the doorway...

.. and so it was.. after much effort on the part of Ross and Colin, and a good few helpers around the edgs, that in December he moved into 'the Cabin' It's the finishing touches which have been so sweet, a 20 X 10ft garden shed is now a cosy one bedroom home with shower room and a brilliant kitchen area, with all you need to make a mean fry up. My favourite bit is the pine breakfast bar with shelving underneath... we smile when he tells us that from a three shelf unit, he gets one and April fills the other two with her shoes!

...yes, it's almost like a kitchen area from Ikea..'compact'...x

365/39 Fence...?

2012-02-08T20:43:00.000Z

Well as soon as I saw the prompt I knew it was going to be an obtuse picture for me today. Okay, so if I had taken time out to photograph Ross working on some of Pops' fencing, but I have been flat out busy. Now my Col loves a tidy fence, whether it is the wood panel we have running down the edge of the garden or the side of the workshops... but they don't really do it for me... yes, they look neat and tidy, but where fences are involved, this Cornish maid is a bit more of a hedge girl.. you know, the rambling dry stone kind of thing, a little more local here than a fence.

Anyhow, the day progressed and I dashed out of the office mid-afternoon to go get my hair cut.. well the roots done if I am honest, but hey, there is also a scissors involved, so technically I can say 'cut'. By the time I was done it was almost 7pm and I could see a distinct lack of fence picture featuring in my life today...

..so, as I drove out of town I saw this huge thing in the sky.. if I was in a movie it would have been ET or something, the moon seemed huge and so so close.. if only I had a camera I could photograph it.. over a fence, standing on a fence or perhaps with a nice fence in the foreground? (desperate at this point!) so I followed the moon home, through winter trees, past villages and all the time it seemed to get.. smaller?

Eventually I pulled over and took this on my phone.. and I promise.. there WAS a fence between me and that moon!

Meant to say..

2012-02-07T20:39:00.001Z

...that last Friday evening we went to see a small gallery exhibition of some photography work of the kids from Jordan's college. The gallery owner has loaned the space to the college for a month while he's away, there's a real mix of stuff, from canvases to postcard size prints and all the students held their own, professional and enthusiasm showing through.

Jb turned some of her favourite prints into cards and here's a mix of them. I particularly like the mannequin with forget-me-not posy, Jb says it reminds her of my mum who told her all about those flowers. Col had not seen the Stephen King one and when he saw it he mentioned that it looked like the kind of picture Jordan would take...so she has a style..eh?

They look great on her shelf, and when she saw what Lisa had bought her last year, it was a great present in the box!

365/38 Damaged..

2012-02-07T20:19:00.001Z

Well when I saw the prompt for today I wondered if anything would give me the chance to blog the events of the day as well as doing the challenge....mmm, I wondered if I would show the empty bottle of wine Ross and I might want to 'show the damage' of tonight, or maybe the damage you have to inflict in order to improve it, creating rubbish before the cleansing is revealed..!

It was a hectic day in all things 'STS' and we were all busy getting things done when there was a power cut. The workshop guys soon realised that the kettle wouldn't work so they got busy washing their cars.. and in the office we pretended they were on TV! (watching out the window as we had to pull the blinds up to max the light)

And so to 'the damage'.. when the power returned our server died, we had to call Pawel, our resident computer-doc in and here he is examining the patient. Seems we will need a new server but it's not before time ... and we will also be renewing our database system next week as Ross joins us and we need more user space.

(For those not in the know, our eldest son is joining us full time next week, taking on a whole range of jobs, all the roles we do not have full time posts for but are essential to us getting on and growing the company more.. he is slightly OCD as I have mentioned before so we think he'll love getting to grips with stores / stock taking and also getting to learn on the job, all about our kit so he can go out to visit customers and train them, saving Col precious nights away.. the appeal of nights in a Premier Inn have long gone, unless for the tasty jobs!)

Ross has always fancied working with us, but sometimes you and they have to grow enough for the time to be right to work with your kids...and when he decided to look at a job in car sales, happy to apply himself to that, we grabbed the chance to have him before someone else did!

365/37 Packaging.

2012-02-06T19:48:00.001Z

Easy one this, I love collecting nice pieces of packaging, trouble is you have to eat the chocolates or use the smelly goodies first... oh what a shame!

Years ago we did a scrap challenge with packaging as inspiration and I used a Tesco chocolate cake box, perfect frame!

These are a few examples, inner of a GU dessert box, SuperDry bag, several boxes of chocs and my favourite Sanctuary Spa .. can you tell which is which?

Okay, I can't put it off any longer.. bureau to tidy so I can bring back in the two plastic boxes of pre-Christmas junk! x

Descendants.

2012-02-05T21:52:00.000Z

Sometimes at the weekend we try to get to see a film, it's generally on a Sunday evening, in a rush to fit it in before the week starts again, but today I suggested we went in the afternoon, then we would still have time for relaxed tea and for Col to get ready for his week's trip away...so off we went to see 'Descendants' starring George Clooney. He is not on my 'laminated list' (Friends fans will get that!) but he could well be a reserve..mmm, shall have to firm up on that list one of these days..hahahah

So, how was it?... we actually really liked it, a good film, a mix of sadness and well placed humour which appealed to us as parents of growing kids I think, and best of all there was no CGI. Unless of course they weren't really in Hawaii! Of course we were slightly extra interested as Zac will be in Hawaii next week.. typically island windy but more built up than maybe I expected, but some spectacular scenery too.. and oh, the warmth..x

One of the interesting comments that was made we liked.. give your kids enough to be able to do stuff, but not so much that they can do nothing.... good one..x

365/36 Rubbish!

2012-02-05T20:45:00.001Z

RUBBISH is what I'd call myself of late when it comes to tidying away my 'stuff'.. we were really busy in the run up to our holiday and then Christmas arrived the day after we got home...then Col and I got a night away ten days ago..and the last few weekends I have finally learnt the attraction of chillin' out in front the fire..(you can kind of see the pattern of excuse making going on here...)

...consequently the jobs which I intend to do every Saturday and Sunday when I lay in bed 'planning' have gone by the by.. and my bedroom still has the pre-Christmas suitcase (well it was new, so hasn't yet been allocated a 'home') and the weekend-away holdall laying around, festooned with various bits of ironing (all done, just not put anywhere..) some reading from holidays and also half my scarf collection draped over the chair. The various black jackets and coats which have made the cross trainer a very useful clothes horse go without explanation!

And my scrap room next door is another story..a desk full of untidiness to be attended to.. looks like I need another night with R
oss and his OCD to sort that one.

The plan is to order the Ikea wardrobe stuff ordered for our room and get the scrap room sorted... soon.. well I could say 'this week' but that may be setting myself up to fail!

That's our boy!

2012-02-05T20:07:00.000Z

Loving that khaki thing going on..

There was much excitement here last night when Ross came in and checked his Facebook... Zac had uploaded a bunch of great pics of his first port of call.. San Pedro, Los Angeles..

.. the Q now is whether Mum (that's me) relents and gets her own Facebook address so I don't have to stalk the poor lad over the shoulders of the rest of the family?

We will see...x

365/35 Liquid.

2012-02-04T15:38:00.004Z

Well to be fair I was always going to have tenuous links with some of these prompts, helping them fit the events of the day and keeping this a little blog of life with the Jones'

Seeing the word for today as 'liquid' I knew where I'd end up.. okay, so the threat of snow has given way to the more usual Cornish sunshine of 'really wet' drizzle..and every day is a mix of liquids, from showering to cups of tea and my pans of Saturday Soup.....

but the adventures of our middle-child have definitely taken a little precedence today.

Zac called us last evening, he had docked in Los Angeles mid day and had loads to tell us about the settling in / familiarisation period since he joined them with his mate up in Vancouver on Tuesday. Contractors have left after the refitting and passengers arrive this afternoon expecting a holiday of a lifetime! When we spoke we weren't sure if he would get chance to set foot on dry land that evening, Colin said that when you are on a ship like that you wouldn't be bothered, but I kind of thought that it may seem too enticing to see the docks and not get ashore.

Well unusually I didn't check my hotmail and tweets this morning til about noon, then got a real surprise e-mail from Zac ... about 6am here.. and 10pm out there.. emailing from an eatery in Hollywood no less! They got ashore and grabbed the chance to see something, there won't be many chances to be in port with no passegers aboard...Go Zac!

(so, to the photo and the word.. plenty of liquid to see as the ship leave LA, (above) and credit for this nice image from Wikimedia..)

..PS and this is a pic Zac posted from there today..

First port!

Slightly out of synch! 365/33 Buttons.

2012-02-04T13:15:00.001Z

Well as soon as I saw the prompt for Thursady this is what I wanted to photograph.

I loved these shoes from afar a few months back, pre-Christmas shooping. I especially loved the purple ones but since I rarely wear purple I rationalised that if I bought them I would then have to buy clothes to match!

Then January sale time came and I happened (yes, just happened.... honest) to be in M&S with Jordan and saw them in the sale... even better, there was no purple ones in my size so I wasn't tempted to buy a complete 'white elephant' and the black ones fitted great... and with only a little prompt from J they were bought..I just LOVE the buttons, though sure that having to do them up with button hooks way back in the days before the Zip fastener, may not have been quite so much fun.

mmmm, I really could do with a nice black handbag now...xx

You can see the rest of the 365 challenge 'button' pictures at Suzie's blog.. 365/33 Button

Interaction..365/34

2012-02-03T11:02:00.001Z

is the word of the day over at Suzie's 365 challenge. I am short of a 'button' image for yesterday yet, but have plans for that.

Just wanted to say that already at 10.40am 'interaction' is my word of the day for sure! I checked my emails at 8am and there was my first note from Zac, en route to Los Angeles to pick up passengers for their first 2 week cruise to Hawaii.. yeah, Hawaii.. what's that all about! I had written an email last evening, had kind of not bothered the first few days as so used to speaking on the phone or texting, email seemed so 'last year'!!

Anyhow Zac sounded really chipper and likes the fact that as part of Deck crew he can go anywhere on the ship! I missed him then!

Couple of hours later and we had a phone call in the office from Ethel, the sister of our elderly inventor friend without who's contact STS would not exist. Sadly Ethel lost Henry and their elder sister last year and herself had a fall and was in hospital for ten weeks.

But she is the best of everything British, 94 years old, back home, housebound but enjoying the fantastic wildlife she can see in her gorgeous garden and sounding ready to face the year ahead. She is well supported by those around her and I can hear the 'spring in her step' as we talk...love her to bits!

Gossip Girls?!

so.. I love 'interaction'.. or is that just plain old 'yapping'... more later and oh here's a pic of me and Sam who works with us, we enjoy lots of interaction three mornings a week when she's in!

365/32 Accessory.

2012-02-01T21:02:00.000Z

I've been thinking about this one.. should I photograph my miriad of ear rings and necklaces, my collection of scarves or perhaps my more recently growing number of belts (who cares if you don't have much of a waist, this is a below the belly belt I'm talking about!)

But all the time I come back to my faithful plain silver necklet which I love so much. It goes with everything almost and I wear it most days even though I do try to wear the pretty things everyone buys me. So then to find a picture from my tablet images to show it... and then I realise that to be fair my most important accessory is now my reading glasses, I rarely go without having them perched on my nose or head! ..... ahhh, embrace the onset of the fifties!

As the weather improves I do hope to make this challenge a little more .. err.. challenging, as I really will get a camera out and take the pics especially for the subject.. til then I am cheating, just feeling the need to keep nice and warmed up..awhhhhh x

365/31 Wheels.

2012-02-01T20:44:00.000Z

Not an inspired image I'm afraid but they are alloys! You have to know our family to smile, I have never been that bhothered about cars and whether or not they have alloys doesn't really matter to me... guess it may be a girl thing?
Anyways last night we went to Truro to see Sarah Millican, it was a fun night and a bhonus to eat out first. Ross had washed the car for us so this is the pic I took as everyone was waiting for me 'patiently'-ish!

365/30 Collection!

2012-01-30T19:25:00.001Z

Well in my life the are many collections, often piles of 'stuff' to be sorted, but I am trying to use pictures which give a taste of my life too.. so this is one of my little corners of the kitchen where a collection of metal signs lives. Jordan gave me the card and it is in the same kind of theme.. and reflects our house.. just when you lose someone from the list of people to feed, someone else arrives or others come home with extra babies or friends in tow! And I'm loving it!!

And yesterday three of the kids were home and they were all wearing the same bright green.. okay a tenous link to a collection of green tops (!) but here's a shot to mark the day when Jb was sad to say bye to Zac as he wends his way to warmer climes for the next 3 months aboard the Sapphire Princess. I am sure they were twins, separated at birth, plus 27 months!

Say Cheese said Zac!

365/29 Kitchen Utensil!

2012-01-30T19:05:00.001Z

Well those who know me will know how hard I find it to give a short single answer and yesterday's photo prompt is just that... pick a utensil, any utensil.. and I have to show you everything, but to be fair, they are my favourites!

The little peeling / chopping /slicing knife has been 'lost' a couple of times, but always seems to turn up, in a cake tin with a half eaten cake or 'in the wrong place' in the drawer.

The pizza cutter has survived almost 20 years of married life, a little extra gift from Col's auntie and it has outlived a few other comedy (Homer Simpson) cutters.. and we like our pizza in the Jones household!

The utensil set on the wall was a Christmas present from Col, he gave me each one separately and was dumb founded when I opened the second soup ladle , he hadn't even realised he had bought two when he was wrapping them!

Last but by no means least my steamer, I use it almost every decent meal and cook all the veg in it, potatoes first, then carrots, broccoli, peas, the lot!

365/28 Fluffy!

2012-01-28T17:48:00.000Z

So, since 9am or even before that I have had the word 'fluffy' in my head, the picture prompt for today. mmmmm...first thought was the state of my brain at times, (but hard to photograph)...ahhh, there will be a soft toy around this evening when the family convenes for curry night...(too easy and a cop out).. or maybe I'll find some warm socks (more cop out)

So it's almost time to go make the curry and we will all start getting busy for our 'Zac's nearly last night' and I'm playing around with my tablet in front of the TV... and there he is.. fluffy Chandler!

Sorry, will try harder!

365/27 Amazing!

2012-01-27T20:27:00.000Z

Well I got as far as early evening and apart from lots of telephone calls and emails keeping me busy all day (my pennance for having two days out I suppose, and worth it to be fair), I cannot think of anything especially amazing which happened today...and said so. Our no.4 child put out her arms in a ta-dah fashion and I was going to photograph her and Zac but the moment kind of passed.

So I looked through my pics on my tablet and for sure I found a picture to suit.. an amazing layout of an amazing picture of the most amazing place in my life...Treryn Castle, a headland just near Porthcurno where we go in our boat during the summer, just to hang out and charge my spiritual batteries! My parents raised our family close by and my Dad fished these waters all his life and I love that to be there I can feel that nothing has probably changed in the 50 years since then...like touching back through time.

365/26 Free Choice.

2012-01-26T22:03:00.000Z

Great day for me, a few quiet hours with minimum crowds and no-one to answer to at Cribbs Causeway, catching the tail end of the sales and a few bargains for my troubles. Then Col finished his service visit to a customer, met up for some lunch and we headed for Ikea where we planned our new wardrobe.

While having a 5 minute break at the 'Mall' I checked on Twitter and picked up Suzie's prompt for today. Free choice.. aha, not so easy, deciding what to photograph in a shopping mall..everything from a jumbo jacket potato to a performing fountain!......... but then at Ikea I snapped this pic of the storage options ... such 'Free Choice', something to suit everyone's organisational desires!

365/25 Motionless.

2012-01-26T21:49:00.000Z

Well I failed yesterday.. didn't take a pic at all but spent a good deal of the day being just that...'MOTIONLESS'. I travelled up to Bristol on the train, am uneventful 4 hours, listening to my iPod and reading my magazine from cover to cover. Then when I got to the hotel we didn't do much either, a good few more hours sitting, eating, drinking and generally 'busy doing nothing'

So, a picture from my archive to tell the story...
.. and hey, how good is it that on my list of things to do soon I am actually getting to tick some boxes!

365/24 Motion!

2012-01-24T20:36:00.000Z

Well I thought this one might get the better of me, unless I decided to go out to our workshops and find someone working on a trolley or go out and stand by the roadside...

But I was rescued by a lovely gesture : my eldest offered to make the tea... a lovely Thai Green Curry.

Trying to tick off one of my 'things to do soon' list I am away for the night tomorrow to meet Colin and enjoy 'doing not much' so it was a golden (and rare) opportunity to go upstairs after work and have a nice long bath.

I couldn't keep from meddling though, still ended up stirring in the fish and getting the rice pinged in the microwave... oh and I did the dishes too!

Motion.. ahah.. Ross stirring his curry.. challenge sorted !

365/23 Hot!

2012-01-23T18:57:00.001Z

Well my affair with Gellish nails continues... perhaps also my Guilty Secret, well they would be if I didn't enthuse about them so much....I never was good on the whole secret thing!

So the word is hot and having already used my fire it had to be the nails... 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' or to the 365 crowd...'HOT red' xx

oops and the blue green ink from my days work..HOT at the desk!

365/13-14 Guilty Pleasure.. Inside my Fridge!

2012-01-22T18:28:00.000Z

Inside Nannie's fridge!

Well this one was easy.. and two in one again.
My grand-daughter Lilly is a guilty pleasure of mine. It is hard to be firm with her, but I have to (or I will be the told off one when she goes home all bulshy!)

She just talks all the time and is so knowledgeable and you just can't get one over on her... sadly my own Mum isn't here to tell me so, but somehow from what I've heard, she'd say 'She's just like you were!'

This picture was taken when my youngest was looking after her and cleaning the fridge for me... she heard this little giggle and there she was, inside the fridge!

365/15 Generous..

2012-01-22T18:20:00.000Z

Playing catch up still, but when I think of this word I always come back to my dearest Mum.

She was so good she was bad, always wanting to do for you and we used to joke she must be uncomfortable sitting on that barbed wire fence where she never said bad of anyone!

This scrapbooking layout shows her digging sandcastles with us on a Sunday School trip, trying to make it fun when really it was probably pretty dreary!

365/16-17-18 Pleasurable Naughty Snack!

2012-01-22T17:44:00.000Z

One for my man, and it covers three days worth of Suzie's photo challenge.. this could be the only way I catch up.

So, it's my Col's guilty pleasure.. Domino's pizza, Vegi-Roma with Jalapenos and Garlic Dip....eaten in the car, less than five minutes after collecting, from a nice viewpoint watching the boats in Penzance Harbour!

.. luckily easily pleased, my man x

365/22 Glowing!

2012-01-22T17:38:00.000Z

I know it's a little predictable, but I love the effect a pair of sunglasses over your camera lens can have...

..Kuramathi March 2010..

..thanks to my girl Jordan for the picture..x

365/19 Bad for you..

2012-01-21T22:30:00.000Z

Well, all things in moderation and if you only go on holiday two weeks a year and maybe have a couple of these during the year (for sure they do not taste the same at home!)then it shouldn't be too bad....

B52 : Kahlua, Baileys and a topper of Cointreau ...fabulous xxx

365/20 SIGN

2012-01-21T22:07:00.000Z

So there it is.. the sign my daughter gave me last year... says a lot.. sorry, but I do just love a bit of news ..x

Starting late : My 365 or is it 366.. day 21 FIRE

2012-01-21T20:23:00.002Z

Well all week I have been wanting to join this really cool 365 photo blog challenge, especially now I have my tablet and HTC to play with.
I was planning to go back and do the previous challenges, but maybe I'll use old photos for them.
But today I am using a photo taken as I write... my sitting room woodburner, it has made our house a home.. love it ...x

Suzie's 365 link

Good find..

2012-01-21T17:12:00.001Z

.. finally getting sorted out after the holiday was followed so closely by Christmas. The large box of Milk Tray discovered beneath a bunch of stuff in the scrap room has been brought downstairs and eaten... not all by me, it didn't last long on the kitchen table though!

So... who ate all the Quavers?

Then I realised that I had not put the photos from our camera on the house computer and found these little gems.. which can't go un-blogged..ok, I promise, last ones!

Our room.. on arrival..awhhh x

Very shallow, so sunny, fish not perfect but that reflection!!

Snorkel buddies..

Not even 'I feel lucky-ed'... but looks like he's in front of a poster!!

New post..

2012-01-18T22:11:00.001Z

I'm here feeling the need to add an entry, perhaps I can't log in any more and see that huge pic of me and Col, a little worse for wear, or maybe it's just been a good week and I feel it deserves a mention. True to being English, the weather has been nice enough, not inclement and fresh and clean feeling. Things in trolley world are going well, selling kit to all and sundry with enquiries from everywhere from Italy to Libya and India.

Zac finishes his first college phase today and heads home tomorrow before he flies to Canada in ten days to join the Sapphire Princess to head south to California for three months based in LA, cruising out to Hawaii and Mexico etc. Sure we'll be having some kind of gathering in next couple of weeks, and I can see that celebrating his arrival home or impending trip away will be a great excuse for the family 'dos' I love so much xx

At the weekend Colin decided the fishtank needed more fish or be removed from the alcove it occupies in our living room. Well if removed it would surely end up broken and sad in shed and ultimately the skip, so he took Kate off to TriMar shopping. ... and there is a not very clever link to the picture of the day..

Had to add these..

2012-01-14T23:08:00.002Z

It's that 70's Porn Star moustache we loved!

Ooooo.. Mrs!

And the evening draws on..

New Year 2012..

Arrived on the Last Banana Boat?

Spong Bob WAS yellow.. it was dark and we didn't realise!

Navy Seal meets Sailor Girl!

New Year's Eve... welcoming 2012!

2012-01-14T17:27:00.001Z

Sponge Bob & Cap'n

The Macarena..

Figure head..aka Sam!

Well it seems the way of things this month, playing catch up with my blogging, but I am keen to do it as so many good things happen and it would be a shame to let the days pass by un-blogged..yes, it would seem a small addiction is taking hold!

So, to 31st December 2011..Col and the boys had moved furniture out and set up twp projectors and screens so we could show the music videos JB and Zac had compiled for the night. April and I set to work on a big batch of sandwiches and Col and I had plundered M&S and Tesco for a good variety of snacky finger food (I had long since given up a plan to make canapes and cute little desserts, the fridges and cupboards had plenty of Christmas left-overs and the plan was to provide food people didn't need to eat with a fork!.. this worked famously as the double pile of unused plates and napkins showed the next day!)

Yer tiz..them Pirates!

So to the party, there was a nautical theme, small homage to Zac's impending first 'sea phase' on Princess Cruises and despite thinking everyone would turn out in sailor mode it seems that Johnny Depp and his crew have really cornered the market for fancy dress pirates and their 'molls'. There was a few disappointments with the usual last minutes 'sorry's but we still had a good 25 and made a decent party. The music videos were brilliant, cries of 'yeeesssss' to a good track and moans to the black and white classic Dusty Springfield type tracks, but something for everyone, and if there wasn't then Zacfound it pretty quick. We saw midnight come and go with a few bottles of Rose Cava, Mariah Carey's great video with fireworks and Auld Lang Syne and sadly people mostly headed off home by about two, but Zac and Lucy, Col and I hung it out til three!

2 am girls x

Eventually thought we should go to bed as everyone else was settling down.. for a couple of old early nighters I think we did good, threw a pretty good party, had not too much clearing up to do and vowed to have that much fun again soon..!

What you'd call a brisk walk.

2012-01-14T16:56:00.001Z

Living inCornwall we don't always make the most of it and this year Ross and April have made a resolution to do something at the weekends and enjoy what all the holiday makers enjoy for only a couple of weeks a year. Last weekend was Nanjizel beach and today I went along for awalk from Penberth, up over the cliff and to the Logan Rock pub for some lunch before down the hill again to fetch the car. It was lovely, the sea was grey and wild but when the sun came out it turned blue and beautiful..

I was quite well behaved, not too heavy on the nostalgia, perhaps because we weren't really dawdling due to the easterly wind and consequently a nice chill. But there was no rain and it was fab to get up on the cliff and see the cove from up there. Porthcurno bay was gorgeous with a huge flock of birds enjoying the wind and surf on the sand bar off Pendne and Prie beaches.

We were surprised the walk was quite quick, I think that had something to do with the weather making us walk a little faster..and the rest to do with the fact that I remember the walk from when I was about five or six years old, little legs dragging up the side of the cliff and the whole event seeming to take hours... even Ross remembers the cove as being a lot bigger when he used to go there as a little kid..x

I love rocks covered with Lichen!

Day 15: Last day : 21 December

2012-01-09T22:00:00.000Z

Last breakfast, last lunch, last dinner....last snorkel, but even Kate came along. Great venue, just off the jetty and across to the bar.. my , how Jordan's grip tightens when she sees a Moray Eel.. they are only breathing as their mouth opens so wide, but they do look kinda menacing! A pod of dolphins passed by as we started out and Kate pulled out a final trump card and spotted a solitary eagle ray minutes before we swam in..majestic.

Last dunk in the pool.. for Col & Kate, Jb and I headed for the shower..

Still got it!

After lunch we treated ourselves to ice creams at Palm Court and good timing meant we could say bye to two of our best bar guys..

..further debate was had during the evening about the possibility of a trip to Sri Lanka..maybe a week's tour there and then a week in our faithful Kuramathi.

Col cracked us up today, Kate had a craving for a pack of Quavers and listed it as the first thing she'd do when we got home. Colin found an empty packet of one he'd eaten on the way out and left it lying out, told her he'd just eaten it.. she was loving even the smell!! (hey, but one pack down at Gatwick and she was sated) OUr last meal sadly wan't TexMex as last wednesday but dates in the choc fountain and baklava made the European buffet another winner for me.

Ode to Jb

And this was pretty much how it ended, under an umbrella in a tropical rainshower, with Kate taking yet another picture at arms length.. we set off early the next day at 7am (2am UK time) and a boat and two plane journeys later at 10pm UK time we arrived home..weary, holidayed and ready for Christmas! I do have quite a few favourite pics I haven't included, but will add these on dreary winter days when memories of all those 'S' words needs a little wake-up!

Day 14 : 20 December

2012-01-09T21:24:00.002Z

There's a tattoo artist in there somewhere..

Me and the girls lay out and Jb henna tattoos my wrist while Col headed off for a two hour snorkel off the jetty. Just what he needs, it's so good for him to step off the world like this.

Christmas has arrived here, a whole bunch of imitation holly wreaths and so much 1980's tinsel, the guys have had so much fun. There is a little competitive streak too as up at the Palm Court bar there was a really unusual tree, made of felt and we would have chosen their decoarations as the winners if there had been prizes to give!

We're not sure what to make of it all, apparently everyone at home is 'well Christmassy' and it was great to hera the girls looking forward to being home, but mainly to be with the family and snuggle up in front the TV.

Funnily I was reading my Psycholgies mag today and loved David Baddiel's thoughts on being an atheist Jew at this time of year.. he is quite funny and at best thought provoking, as for sure many of us in the UK think pretty much the same, on the surface at least.

On a side point the girls and I got chatting about the proposed party at home on N Y Eve... Kate would obviously rather be somewhere else, that being in St Ives, regardless of weather (and non-drinking) warnings etc. I wondered (and noted on my phone note blog) .. when is a family party not a family party... ahah , when one of the family wants to opt out.

Ahhh, the return home beckons and the familiar ache of a mother's stomach, wanting to please all of the people all of the time returns.... how come 25 years later the old worries are the best ones and as a mother (or a guilt ridden one at least) the old stomach stillisn't used to that churning and is unable to welcome it like the unreliable friend it must by now be!!!

And true to form, the rollercoaster that is teen parenting pulls you up again, Kate in jester mode is wondering what it would be like to only have one arm (and is hiding one arm inside a very tight tee-shirt, at the dining table I might add)... then she suggests she may need to open a jar, or cut her food and a special little hand appears from under said tee-shirt (apologies to those who may be arm-less and reading this, but hey, she was being funny, this mum is grateful for every small mercy!) JB on the other hand was less easily amused, seems the negotiations on living with the clothing pile which now Kate occupies in the forementioned 'Gaza Strip' in Villa No 14 is less easy to forget for her! Almost done, the return home approaches..

Day 13: 19 December

2012-01-09T21:01:00.000Z

(Okay so it was a 14 day holiday but somehow I have gained some days.. I may or may not find them when I look back over this, but I think it's all to do with hours travelled.. pity I didn't do Geography huh?!(I did.. that's the joke there, in case you didn't get it) )

Today was still grey and quite windy, nice way to get a few rays without the burn factor! Kate even put a cardi on, bless here, and had plans for a hoodie evening too!

A little slack on things to talk about whilst laying out (after almost two weeks that IS allowed isn't it?).. so I embarked on a game... 'I spy with my little eye something beginning with.......'S'

Well when you start it is so funny .. I just kept finding them...sun / sea/ sand / sky / sailing boat / surf / sandcrabs /snorkeller (then it started to get really funny...well I thought so..) sarong / sexiest swimsuit etc etc. Col on the other hand was alittle less amused, not being one for wordy games in any case... 'Simpleton' was his offering!

But the grey skies returned and we decided we'd best go back to our villas.. as it was ... 'spitting' (for Peter Kay fans everywhere). So we settled down for an hour and Col and I watc

hed one of his early Christmas presents, Jeremy Clarkson's DVD about the Raid on St Lazaire... an epic tale, not quite tropical island-ish but heroism at its best.

Jordan dragged Col out to do some long exposure photo shots with her tripod, She came back with some nice shots while he came back with some mossi bites! As for me I noted the silence, a DVD stopped in mid comment, no air conditioning on, a moment in time, all alone, not many moments like this on our holiday as we are together 24 / 7. What should I do with the time.. head in book, a chapter down.. and the door opens, the moment is gone!

Day 12 : 18 December

2012-01-09T20:45:00.000Z

Oily post-spa head!

Started the day with a nice snorkel 'out back' with JB, those crayfish really do think they can't be seen don't they... someone needs to tell them that their antenna stand out so clear amongst the fish. Mind you I guess they'd be hard to prise out of the holes they have backed into, that's some fine parking!

In the afternoon Kate had a manicure and I got a back, neack and head massage ... interesting ... Lying on my front I felt the lady put pressure on the backs of my calves, then on my knees and then on my thighs.. equal pressures on each leg... hang on a minute, she has pressure on both calves, knees and legs at the same time. she's actually on me, her knees and hands doing the work.. Such a good job Col or Kate didn't come with me, I'd probably have thrown the poor girl off with my laughing!

Today I started reading Eat, Pray, Love...I didn't realise it was going to be quite such a biographical tale, thought it would be more like a novel. Will be interested to see how it goes and then see the film.

Ahhh, Chamila.

Chatting in the evening to our fave bar guy Chamila, talking to him and others about the rise of the tourist resorts in all parts of their home island of Sri Lanka. These guys should go back home and show what they know, they could be heads of tourism! I always love to tell them about my few weeks there, way back when in ..err..1982 or was it 1983.. either way the troubles came 'after me'(mmm..?!) but I remember lots about their special places like Kandy's Temple of the Tooth and Dambula / Sigiria and it is nice to see their faces when I know where they lived and stuff., it's kind of like giving something back to them. We talk quite a lot of visiting Sri Lanka, maybe take the girls at least, they could be ready for something a little less lazy and little more cultural?

Now where was I? Day 11: 17 December

2012-01-09T20:30:00.000Z

Bit of a squall coming..

Quiet day by all accounts, or at least that's how it seems two weeks later and referring to my phone blog notes! A windy grey day, but as warm as ever. Kate amused us with some of ther musings, Jordan asked me where Kate gets those random thoughts from and thinking back I do reckon she is more like me as a teen than I care to admit... just in another era.

Tonight there was another film on the beach, though sadly even a tropical setting, the warm wind and russle of the palm trees can make up for a rubbish film!

Back in the saddle?

2012-01-09T19:34:00.000Z

Okay, so I'm not sure where the last two weeks have gone, but suffice to say I and all the family are alive and well. Perhaps the lack of blogging proves that I do have a life 'outside' the computer and perhaps the new year has started off quite well since I have not been here bemoaning the grey January days etc etc... mind you, those of you who have managed to blog from beneath the heavy charcoal cloud which ushers out the tenth to twelfth days of Christmas have had my vote as to be fair the few days last week when we had to get back to work were grim to say the least!

Speaking of 'Grim' my dear heart has slogged his way to Grim-sby tonight, via Solihull and somewhere else kinda mid-England. About eight hours driving and at least two sessions of being squeekily nice to customers, the guy deserves a medal! (but in the words of Dr. DWL Leslie, my first employer... 'you'll have a medal dear..but not this week')

Anyways, it is a small crew at home once more; Zac has wended his way back up the south coast for a couple more weeks of Marine College (and today got his Navigation results.. 97%.. atta boy!) before he comes home at the end of the month to buy some suitcases, pack some clean white boxers and socks and ready himself for the white uniform of Californian cruise ship world... well to be fair the white for his first couple of months could be white painting overalls, but you get the drift! He starts with two weeks from LA to Hawaii and back, if nothing else he will be 'in the warm' as we call it, well away from all the weather the UK can throw at us!
With Col out on calls, Kate out for tea and Ross on his first gym session of the year, that leaves me, JB and Pops. A lasagne is bubbling away, JB is blobbing to the Simpsons, I'm blogging and well, Pops will be here any minute! Shall have to go then but promise to return and catch up before the evening is over.

So, will I ever finish the holiday blog, will it take precedence over the tales from New Year's Eve...so many questions, but all evening to answer them! To lighten the wordiness of this, here's a little taster of the party pics..

Mine hosts!

The Macarena..

Day 10 : 16 December

2011-12-29T22:33:00.000Z

..interesting thought for the day.. from my straw poll survey of the reading material viewed on our beach, it seems it is the practical goal-led men who have plumped for the Kindle, whilst the ladies, perhaps the more touchy feely emotional of the two sexes, have stayed with the real books. Maybe we girls like to feel that a book has been 'read' and looks like ti too when we put it back on the shelf, recalling the moments we had when reading it?

I wasn't too impressed with One Day and kind of said so to Col & JB at breakfast. Two hours later I hit the last two chapters and the book redeemed itself..not the cliche ending I had expected, but enough of that in case you sometimes fall on it yourself..

Almost a hoodie!

We had our first full 4-man snorkel today, though Kate kind of uses the time in the water to practice her acro moves in the almost weightless conditions! Legs and arms everywhere, just glad she has a good eye for the sharks, moray eels, lion fish and finally the antennae of the crayfish near the end of the snorkel. A thundery shower came as we swam to the beach, swimming then in the pool in a downpour, great fun... though walking back in the rain had Kate wishing for hot chocolate and a hoodie.. ahh, the warmth of a hoodie and comfort food.

This evening we gave the bar a miss and cosied up, 4 in a huge bed, watched TV, ate the choc and crisps we bought at inflated prices in the souvenir shop, and talked of Christmas. (I wouldn't give it a second thought, but the kids get the vibe from the short time they spend catching up with the UK on Facebook!) I was heartened though to hear the girls talk about the best bits of Christmas, the sitting room being smaller and cosier as the tree takes up space, the chocoaltes, big meals with everyone around the tableand sharing the presents and the surprises with each other.... awwhhhh xx

Day 9 : 15 December

2011-12-29T22:11:00.000Z

We are really getting settled in, Jordan has attracted the attention of one of our waiters.. how things change in a year or so.. she wishes now she could feel invisible again.. yeah, right! Some of the guys make origami creatures for us, though I'm not sure if they have just made them or if there is a stash somewhere they can use when a pretty girl comes by!

The guys are so kind, say hello to everyone and there are just so many people on holiday there who don't even acknowledge that... so I make sure to always have a smile and a chat. One of the waiters in our restaurant, they call him 'Don' has a whole range of East End slang and chat,, wanna buy a motor / good afterrrrnoooon / How's my old mucker / apples and pairs etc etc. He is priceless..it turns out he learnt a lot of it when he worked on another (posher) island and met Ross Kemp, years ago, when he was on East Enders and he was with Rebecca Brookes.. oh, a lot of water under those bridges since then eh?

We chat a lot when we eat and sometimes when the conversation gets a little heated, in depth or laborious Kate has this funny little squeal noise she makes; it's so funny, just part of her and I think it will be one of the trademark comedy moments of the holiday!

We took a sabbatical from the All Inclusive tonight and treated ourselves to a sunset and then pizza at the Palm Court, but although it was very nice, and particularly to eat out properly, waiting between servings etc, our hearts remain with Dominos! The ice creams were fab though, I loved the passion fruit one... mmmm xx

Day 8 : 14 December

2011-12-29T21:50:00.001Z

View from our dining table

.. NMD today Colin announced to Jordan at breakfast.. No Moaning Day..funny how easy it is in the real world and then on holiday to bemoan almost everything that happens.. well Kate stayed in bed and JB was very quiet, but it was worth saying and I think the second week will be easier, wth us all settling into spending so much more time together.. it isn't a natural thing and does take some getting used to I guess.

As for me and Col, it's pretty easy as we work all day together, just now he is on relax mode and it's nice to see him without a frown in front of a computer... mind you I am sure he's planning some gismo or some revamp of a workshop or something while he is enjoying the peace from me and JB with heads in books!

Thundery squall.

Had a few thundery showers today, sometimes there are drops of rain without a cloud, in any case the sun is just around the corner.

Main entertainment for sure was watching a snorkel teaching session. One German tutor lady, a dozen people including some Japanese guests. The Japanese tourists on the island are amazing, they wear full body UV suits, always wear footwear near water and life jackets when snorkelling. Always dressed as if for a big event, or wearing Beatles / Mickey Mouse tee-shirts.. oh, or matching his / hers coloured co-ordinated outfits.. a veritable people-watching prize winner!

Kate alerted us at one point to a Japanese woman who was floating away, facemask steamed up, no fins, lifejacket fully inflated..and eventually the tutor swam out to rescue her.. in all of 4 foot of water.

The Carrie Bradshaw type voice in my head runs a narration of the moment, bit by bit...and at one point there was me, a friendly German couple and some crazy young Japanese who seem to have never visited a beach before..not quite how it was when the three countries were 'involved' with each other 60 years ago eh!

Laid out in reception!

Looks like lots of people are reading 'One Day' with me, there's even a copy up for grabs in the reception library...incidentally reception has had a very nice revamp, very posh, though not sure if cream cushions are quite that practical??

Day 7 : 13 December

2011-12-29T21:38:00.000Z

Trying to avoid being lagged in Factor 50 for a snorkel out on the reef at lunch time, we gave ourselves and early alarm and Col and I had a great hour out there even before the girls had woken up...great way to start a day! I'm always a little apprehensive about getting in the water but after a minute or two I relax, breathe properly and just 'love it'..

Time to lay out for a bit, start my next book, a pressie from Lisa in anticpation of the holiday.. 'One Day'..the book of the film.. jury is out as I know film didn't get great reviews and also I read the author's Starter for Ten which I though was better in the film than the book..Oh and Jordan thinks she left her glasses on the plane.. good one.. but hey, what can you do? Lucky she bought a month's worth of lenses with her, at least those morays won't be tapping her on the shoulder unbeknown to her!

Titan Trigger Fish..vandals!

Few drinky-poos at lunchtime and then a snooze, followed by a snorkel off the beach.. and as for those who say the humans are wrecking the coral.. have they ever seen the antics of a titan trigger fish on the hunt for food, they turn corals and stones over like a pig searching for truffles!

Plenty of reef sharks too, they seem to be larger than last year and pretty tame too, they come very close and are so well camouflaged against the fans of corals it takes you all your time to notice them before they are beneath you.. and beneath you in ten feet of water is close!

The girls are kind of relaxing, I think they both needed to get off the world of school / friends / routines of work / Facebook etc. They are so different to each other, it must be hard to share the same space for 14 nights, but spare a thought for us too.. Col likened the experience to being a peace envoy trying to settle the dispute over the Gaza strip!

On the sixth day of..

2011-12-29T17:14:00.000Z

.. the holiday Jordan & Colin went snorkelling and they saw......(imagine the tune now.. I hope you're keeping up.. I started to get into the note writing at this point and began writing the way I was thinking....Christamas songs with a holiday twist)

six little Dori's,
five angel fish,
four moray eels (eekkk said Jordan!),
three dozen parrot fish (in a feeding frenzy),
two sweetlips ...
and... about 14 sharks close up!!!!!!!!

Kate for her part is finding the holiday quite stressful... moving chairs, reaching for drinks and remembering to take a towel / sun oil and room keys to the beach... the girl needs staff.. or muscles!

Day 5 : 11 December.. I think! hic!

2011-12-29T17:00:00.000Z

Ooops, turns out it was today I discovered the B52's .. see, three days in and I've lost track.. and this is 'after' the event, with notes to help!!

More sunning, eating and just general lazing about in between, though Colin manages to relax best of with a daily snorkel or two...

I got settled into my first book and have finished it today... Anita Shrive's 'Change of Altitude' It wasn't bad but I left it there in the 'library' as not a book I'm too desperate to keep, it was based in Kenya and just didn't grip me like some of her others.

Jordan for her part got busy with her henna tattoos...this is how they look 'before' they have set and leave a lovely pattern for about a week. Some Asian women on honeymoon have the most intricate hand or foot tattoos, I love them.. (as you can see by the pic at top of the blog..)

...

Day 4: 10 December

2011-12-29T16:33:00.001Z

It's been a while since I woke when I was ready and not by an alarm. Sunshine sure adds to the reasons to get out of bed. The first of 3 or maybe 4 meals a day all provided is another!

Good for us it was a little cloudy and we acclimatised well to the heat and sunshine and I for one actually like a sky with the pockets of cloud passing by. As the sea was a little rough on the serious snorkeling side of the island we messed about snorkeling on the lagoon side.

Had a wander around later and took some pictures. Passed a sign explaining that all the island's salads are grown in a hydroponics centre, using water and added nutrients, almost 450Kg a year, that's 300 leaves a day they harvest.

And last fact for today : the huge Banyan trees are fig trees which begin life when seeds are dropped on another sapling by a bird which has eaten the fruit. The fig tree grows on the established plant but puts down runners and roots until it takes over the original tree and is established.

Some of them are so impressive and up to 300 years old... they also make great light centres at night as JB discovered on her projects for college..

Late afternoon we went to the Spa Pool, but as ever late afternoon and huge boughs of bougainvillea are a bit of a mossi trap, so we didn't stay too long... long enough though for Kate to get wet and have Colin trying to copy her aquarobic exercises..

It was Saturday and that's movie night..n the beach. The film was a little crazy but sitting on the beach with a few drinks and an unexpected viewing of a lunar eclipse made us feel like we were for sure in another place.. after the film we had some more drinks (yes, this is the point where I needed something smaller than the usual cocktails and was introuduced to the B52... exquisite kahlua / baleys and cointreau..and if the guys get their way they set it on fire first!

We chatted with Sagaru again about his plans for the future and how he Skypes with his toddler daughter from their home in Sri Lanka... who can knock technology when it brings such joy xx

Day 2/3 : 8-9 Dec

2011-12-29T16:21:00.000Z

Well we lost about 5 hours there somewhere and arrived at Male airport, it almost feels like home now, after six visits before, though it is expanding all the time. Whilst waiting for our boat transfer to Kuramathi Kate and I realised we were in the background of some people's photos, so, true to form, couldn't just let it go, I waved!

Soon enough we were in conversation with a great lady from Male who was there to see her sister leaving for a month in Bangalore, India where she was going to have IVF treatment. We chatted about that, life in Male and the Uk and the common world of Facebook. By the time Kate looked at her Fbk in two days she had been added to their profiles....awhhh.

Settled in and enjoyed seeing the changes the island have instigated, all for the betterment of the island itself and for their economy and their patrons. The girls shared a Graden Villa for a few days and we had a Beach Villa three doors away and they moved next door 3 days later.

In the evening we met up with some of the bar guys who had returned after being at home for a year or so, getting married, having children..and we joked that the Fung Bar is as close to a 'local' as we have.. the guys know our names and what we like to drink, and we go there on a 'semi-regular basis'... well more than the three times in 14 years we have been to the village pub!

Not a bad view from our 'local'

14 days of... our holiday.

2011-12-29T16:06:00.000Z

Day One..7 December.. travelled by car to Gatwick and got the evening flight with BA.

And here we have evidence of a tired Col and one of many Gatwick Xmas trees in the background, and then a little reminder of how hard it is for a teenager to put one of the make-up bags in the hold luggage... how long can a girl go without her foundation?

We were amused that all the upgrade seats were full but back in World Traveller (economy / cattle class on any other airline.. don't you just love the class of BA!) we each got 3 seats to sleep in en route.

Funny though, Colin just put a teeshirt over his head and he was gone, whilst Jordan laid out in an organised fashion complete with hoodie, earphones for iPod and set up the film channel.

Brought to mind the words of Micky Flanagan (and he features a lot in our holiday humour, so apologies now if you've never heard of him... but saying that, if you haven't, look him up., classic comedy)...'kids these days don't know how to chill..'

And so it began, my holiday spent with blogging going on in the back of my mind, a quiet little voice which I succombed to eventually and put the notes on my phone..

Still weary!

2011-12-27T21:23:00.000Z

Amazingly we are all still very weary after the holiday... I can hear the groans of non-sympathy coming thick and fast! Every evening come 9pm we seems to get the most incredible weary on... hence the snoring from Kate and Colin Christmas night when we were trying to play 'Friend's Scene It' ( long awaited ourchase which was rather a disappointment and will be on e-bay nex Nov for sure...)

The dog has been returned to his rightful home, turns out he had followed Ross part of the way home a few weeks ago when he was out jogging... if only he had looked at the pup last night he may have recognised it... took the people who own it to 'devine' their way to finding him.. but as they say, that's another story.

I'm also finding it hard to get excited about food preparation... or eating in itself to be honest... there's so much of it about and added to two weeks of all inclusive it has kind of beaten me... though it does seem a waste of good chocolate to set a New Year's Resolution just yet to 'give it up'!! (see the pathetic willpower there.. non existant!) So we have had cheese and bread, some fish and all kinds of excuses fir real meals since we got home.. just hope I can conjure up some more appetite as we plan the food and drink for the party Saturday... hah, imagine, everyone arrives and gets handed a packet of crisps and a beer.. dear Uncle Bill, he would think that was so English! .. but it wouldn't do my reputation as a domestic goddess of some proportions any good... or should that read #domestosgoddess as used by Sarah Millican on twitter tonight?

Well, off to play taxi now.. I was given a coaster for Christmas...reading 'My kids drive me crazy : I drive them everywhere else.....'

Surprise dog!

2011-12-26T17:31:00.001Z

.. since the last post we just acquired (temporarily) a puppy dog.. about 9 months old, collie, black and white with tan patches. It turned up on our doorstep, very boisterous and pleased to see us..but it does sit, lie and loves biscuits!

A few phone calls later and no progress as to where he originated, so we took it out on an improvised rope lead around our village hoping someone would be looking for it, but to no avail... but on the bright side it got me and Col out for a walk..I was laughing as he always seems to end up caring for someone's dog or another, whilst if it was left to him he'd be dog-less.. shame our two oldie dogs aren't as much fun on a daily basis...and poor old Rob, he's losing his voice but still managed to make his bark sound quite sad when he saw us with an imposter on a rope!

...well, off to make a curry..x

Just found this..

2011-12-26T15:47:00.001Z

.. when we were away I kept finding myself feeling like an extra in a Thomson's advert, you just feel like someone brought in the sea, sand, the odd cloud and ohhh that sunshine...

.. thought this might cheer your chilly Boxing Day!

So that was the day that was...

2011-12-26T15:23:00.000Z

...despite most of us being dead beat by 9.30pm it was a great day... just the right mix of fun, food and family. Everyone being a little older now the stockings (yes, still stockings!) were opened in quite an organised fashion after each person had given their presents... some great thoughts from the kids these days... everything from clockwork meerkats to touchscreen friendly gloves..oh and the ubiquitous chocolate and alcohol!

Talking of alcohol I had a laugh with the kids... usually 'Santa' leaves a can of fun sized coke in the stockings, but this year he took a new slant... everything froma mojito kit to a shot of vodka in a tin! hic! I had lots of port and Col a whole array of wines from our newly qualified wine waiter!

Lisa, Tom and the girls came by and we had a super brunch, mostly everyone had cooked but I had croissants and lemon curd (not just lemon curd ... but M&S lemon curd!)... I usually have honey but Ross had fed it to poorly April while we were away..and lemon curd is my new honey.

Lilly was funny, a bit overwhelmed.. last year she knew exactly what to do to a present.. unwrap it, regardless of who's it was; but this year she just wanted to give them to everyone else. We gave her a doctors coat and bag and it was a great hit, Zac played super Uncle and had plasters and sore fingers, the whole lot.

He even got himself a white coat to confuse her... not great pics but nice memories..

The afternoon was lazy and having no turkey to cook we were very laid back, in fact we almost plumped for bread and cheese but roast did win the day eventually. We all agreed that the brunch was the funn-est part of the day... kids make Christmas, and next year Lyla will be well switched into the whole festivities! I can see that a new cooker will be a welcome addition in the years to come if the family grows at the same rate over the next ten years..!

Lovely hour in the evening chatting with Michelle who called from the US, such a good chance to catch up, she had read the blog to get a jist of the latest news so we could concentrate on the important ssues... like visiting Italy, family news and plans for the next two years...xxx

Well there is a veggie curry on the menu tonight.. and I'm the chef, so I'd best get chopping...more news and the promised holiday blog notes when I can get a run at it one evening... xxx

Well, are you ready?

2011-12-24T20:47:00.000Z

..I think I am... Christmas music on the PC and a little time to blog / catch up. We got home late Thursday after almost 24 hours travelling, we were all pretty spaced out but a chilly but great night's sleep in 'your own bed' sure makes things clearer! It was a great break away, real R&R and some memorable moments and pictures to follow. I used to lie on the beach and think of the words I would blog so I got into the habit of writing a few notes, the plan is to write up a blog entry or two and try to give you the highlights!

Col and I spent Friday catching up with the guys at work and then our Zac came home and we went across to get 'my holly'... and what a perfect tree it is..(Zac just took a picture of me taking a picture of it... this crazy HTC world we live in...) April and Lucy helped me put up (more) baubles and everyone congratulated me on how laid-back I was about 'having help' to decorate the tree.. and happily I took the teasing well!

The picture isn't that great.. and it IS different to other years, you just have to be a connoisseur to see the subtle differences..I see Jordan's '5' decoration from 1999 stands out, I bought each of them a decoration for the new millennium, but JB got a 5 as this was her age then... awwwhhhh.

I haven't talked on here yet about gellish nails.. but I will now... my new guilty pleasure.. (like I needed a new one?) So, yes, before our holiday I thought I'd give them a go as the sun and sea usually help my nails grow..well they were fab and today I got them redone.. sparkley red ones...ooooooo!!! So, up early this morning, some last minute items to get (mainly chocs and girlie bits to be sure I had covered all bases) and the usual bumping into people I haven't seen in ages.. that was my favourite part of the morning out..just call me Gossip Girl eh?

When I got home JB was busy baking mini sponges and then she iced my cakes and reminded me that we need a new mixer... ooops.. maybe in the sales then? I made some mince pies (God I just love pre-made puff pastry as the alternative would be no pies at all!) A bit of late wrapping and then a start on the holiday washpile.. glad my washer isn't in the house or the sea of clothes may be too much to bear!

Oh and then I titivated a few bits of holly left over, payed homage to the origins of the tradition for me and placed some over our mum and dad's pictures... prompted me to call my brother and say 'Merry Christmas' ahead of tomorrow when we usually catch up but have to dodge the hubbub of other people around.

It was so great to hear his youngest answer the phone in English but with a lovely French lilt. Ken & I swapped stories of our 19/20 year olds and how they are having real travelling lives, working in different countries...and he sounded so proud and pleased they are getting opportunities not so available to us..'way back when'..

Well the rest of the family have been doing their things too, but in the next few minutes we should all be here.. the table is laid for a brunch affair in the morning with our big girl and her family, crackers all set and wine glasses for the juice too! One last turn over of washing and that's me done for the day... til Santa beckons for some help...xxx

PS and my aim is to write a bit on each of my twelve days of Christmas (shamed by the blog-itis from Janice and Karen!) If I can I shall blog a few notes from our trip...still deciding whether to add more of just regurgitate verbatim.. not sure if that is safe.. will re-read notes and decide later!

Shamed!

2011-12-06T20:05:00.000Z

.. by Karen, Yvonne and Janice and their currently prolific blogging..so i have to write a note to say Hi and Bye before we leave for warmer climes tomorrow. We have had such a busy year, it's just manic at times and I know you always feel worse just before you go, but I am pooped!

Kate went to the Clothes Show with school yesterday and I was up at 5am, and whilst she slept on the coach I was home ironing and ... well, blogging.. and then making Col's porridge! Now the early start is taking its toll, it's been all go today, last minute shopping, a little sortie to the waxing lady and as a treat gellish nails... then out again to collect the hire car!

Such has been my life the past week, and tonight Ross taught himself, then me to email pics from my new phone... I took this one at the weekend.. the story of my Sunday.. birthday presents for Jordan, two cakes with almond paste ready for icing when we get back and a bunch of sun oil for the days in between!!

.. notice the festive window in the background, I'm raring to go.. just wish my arms and legs felt the same..!

And as a parting gesture, as I promise to try and send some pics from afar and will definitely do my festive blogging with a '12 days of Christmas' offering, I will add a little pic of Kate after school one evening.. you can see how the place inspires her!

Happy Birthday JB!

2011-12-05T07:17:00.000Z

I still have to work out the camera on my new phone so pic will follow but thought I'd start the day nice and early marking Jordan's driving milestone.. yes, 17 years old today. Ahhh, it takes you back, a child's birthday, to those days which may otherwise have gone by unnoticed or at least uncelebrated.

About the closest to a pic she will be happy to see here!

But maybe not on her birthday, we had just completed the building works on our 'upstairs' on our bungalow in Goldsithney and the carpets were due to be laid this morning at 10am. Jordan snuck into our world about 8am that morning, it was just great, 'born at home' a super baby sister... and we only had to delay the carpet fitters by an hour or so!

Similarly today in celebrated not in big-style but unusual.. yes, you can tell, me blogging at 7am!! Kate and her friend had to be at the school coach at 6am for their daytrip to the Clothes Show in Birmingham, so it was an early start for me. I hate trying to get back to sleep for what will turn out to be a fitful 45 minutes, so the ironing board and blogger fingers have had their moment already today.

Not sure where the last two weeks have gone.. now let me see:
... a Saturday scrapping (much needed 'get off the treadmill hours),
... a weekend of Zac at home (much enjoyed top up on his news and just having him here),
... a few sessions of teen-angst (mmm, the less said about those the better..all I know is it's a good job this isn't an anonymous blog because it could have been titled 'the twelve hours of mother's rantings' but (and she holds thumb and forefingers in 'O' shape and hums) we will stay tranquil for the purposes of this missive!,
... plenty of Christmas shopping followed by two whole afternoons of wrapping, accompanied by pre-December Christmas music... just about allowed.
..a sprinkling of decorating for Christmas, aided and abetted by some now well-trained offspring who know exactly where I like the bits to be, with the odd variation on the theme which in actual fact has not caused the world to spin off its axis or anything..(take those green and blue baubles on the tree in my 'always red accented' sitting room...well, they were new baubles (Next sale last January!!)
..oh and the mental distractions of both being real busy in trolley world (customer visits to us requiring new painted floors and tidy offices, new exports to countries which can't even read our paperwork) and planning to get away on holiday.

... is that excuse enough for not writng the past two weeks, and I'm sure there is a whole host of other stuff we got up to which has not made the list. (feeling a little Regggie Perrin here, thinking up excuses for being late... hippopotamus on the line.. or was it leaves?)

So, there we are.. it isn't looking likely at all that I shall be able to follow Karen or Janice in the Advent blogging stakes, journalling my Chrstmas, though you never know what a few hours on a plane can do for my understanding of mobile blogging.. and at worst I can resolve to blog my 12 days of Christmas having had our fortnight of VitD replenishment and sealife sightings ...ahhh, swimming in a sweetjar is only 72 hours away.....

The first 17 years?

Pretty good one!

2011-11-20T21:00:00.001Z

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!

2011-11-16T22:04:00.002Z

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..

2011-11-16T21:48:00.001Z

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..

2011-11-06T20:50:00.000Z

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.

2011-11-06T00:27:00.001Z

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.

Getting organised early..

2011-10-30T16:25:00.001Z

....is a kind of requirement when you have booked to return from a holiday on the eve of Christmas Eve! Well it's a good intention and currently I am actually on schedule to be that organised. It will be Jordan's birthday just before we go away and I'm hoping we can do what I've always wanted, and get the house 'Christmassed' to celebrate her birthday too.

So, in all honesty, where am I? Well, under my bed lies the first bag of goodies and a few filler gifts... and today I have measured up the two bowls of fruit, ready to make some Christmas Cakes, probably tomorrow evening. I keep losing the recipe I used to use so I am cannibalising a couple I found on the BBC website...I really like including black treacle as I am sure it makes it darker and essentially 'more Christmassy'.

Funny, sitting here writing this I am getting quite excited and the thought that I may even have done some of those special preparations you see on TV and in everyone else's house is so good.... can you hear the undercurrent of pressure here, to create that all singing, all dancing event which is almost destined to failure due to the unrealistic expectations we always have before we have started!

But I will not be deterred..consider this the first Christmas blog for the year.

Sport.

2011-10-23T18:35:00.000+01:00

I just noticed Karen's photo challenge this week is sport, not something I often encounter, unless of thr verbal kind.. and emailing too, that kind of sporting banter gets me into a fair bit of trouble too.. but I do always think I should do more exercise.. blah blah.

So, no sport image from my camera today....but the day cannot go by without mention of Marco Simoncelli. Breakfast and a cuppa in our bed, settled back down to watch the MotoGP as is our want of a Sunday when it's on...but within minutes the story which unfolded has stayed with us all day, the horrendous crash which took Marco Simonceli's life..he was a personality and a half, a rising star in the highest level of the sport, gladiators every one of them, a tragedy x

http://plus.autosport.com/free/feature/3972/toby-moody-remembers-marco-simoncelli/

Last few bits..

2011-10-23T18:22:00.000+01:00

I can see I'm going to have to tweak on the pc later, just can't get the pics the right sizing..but still, they do beat my phone offerings!

I have played with some metal work and this is a date addition I should add to the last layout..I'm not sure if I like the distressed sanded one or the 'clean' version yet, but I am loving Ten Second Studio stuff..(hint, Santa x)

I did work on another layout last time, it was a single page, but on a Dear Photograph type theme, just featuring, as I often find myself doing, a then and now pair of pictures. The old pic is a little faded but maybe for the best as I am very short skirted, sitting on a bridge...(mmm, aged 13...sorry Kate for nagging you these days!)

White Gate then &now

Almost there..

2011-10-23T18:08:00.000+01:00

October at Just Scrapbooking was great, I took Ross' girlfriend along, she's doing art at Uni and got really absorbed in a layout..amazing the effect some inks and paper can have on you, it's a cross between total relaxation and full mental attention, sometimes I come home exhausted... yeah, like therapy!

The theme was music and incorporated a 45 single, though my kids didn't know what I meant when I said that. Amazing, they won't get having a film processed either will they, just lucky JB is doing photograohy 'A' so she is actually doing dark room work (and loving it)

I worked backwards as I was keen to use the great pics we took out at Logan Rock, the last trip in the boat where Zac and Kate went right into the rocks, I adore it there, it is so majestic and I really do get some kind of recharge from being there, esp on the sea side.

The song was hard to find but I plumped for words from You Raise Me Up..the page has been flattened a bit in my album which is almost full for this year, but hope you get the idea.

Devil is in the detail..

2011-10-23T17:49:00.000+01:00

..or so they say.. and it's a devil of a job getting the tablet equivalent of the right click to come easy! But hey, whatever..the manual is a pdf so you have to read it, then exit it to see what it means in practice..I know, maybe you should get the manual up on your pc so you can read it whilst playing with the tablet... yeah, right!

Oh, where was I? Ah, yes, detail...I used up some of the clothes labels I have had stashed away and they worked into this surf layout perfectly. I have been promising Ross his album now for a while, but the more I scrap the longer each page takes...
and don't you just love the cloud stamp..x

How is it?

2011-10-23T17:40:00.000+01:00

..that we have been without a computer in our kitchen for the past three weeks (it lives above the boiler which became very old, infirm and subsequently died), so during all the upheavasl Ihaven't been blogging,I say because I had no pc to take pics from...but now I am blogging off my tablet, along with some pics taken on it... but the question reains why I did not take them before and get going... who knows.. it's a strange old world..

So I'm not going to write too much for the first post, as i need to check out how thisis thing works.. and dear Zac is too far away to cry 'help!' and hear any decent re

Okay, so I'm having a few probs sizing these, but hey..they are the two layouts I did in September. The theme was summer collage and we used strips of all kinds of paper, I tried to keep mine relevant, strips from Boardmaster ads, surf events and even old RipCurl posters..then we covered them to bind the look together and lost almost all the detail.I wasn't sure if I liked that but when I revisited the page in October it all came together, esp with the fab little cloud stamp I borrowed from Linda...why does she always have the best ever stamps!

Catch up challenges..

2011-10-03T20:36:00.000+01:00

.. I am trying to keep up with Karen's photo challenges in a slack kind of way, but that's the way I am, I have it in my head all week, have a few ideas and then do nothing except post some bits.. usually late, but in the spirit of the thing anyways. I am no great photographer but think that the challenges at least give some inspiration for blog entires .. so thanks Karen!

.. we have had a great weekend.. Zac came home... and to explain the post below..no, Mandy, not too much wine (well not at lunchtime Saturday anyways)... it was the result of Zac showing me how to rationalise my blogger / Google stuff on my new tablet. He took a pic and we did a dummy post, but there it stayed, and will do, a nice memory of hanging out with my boy when he came home.

We did just that.. hung out, ate and drank and all learnt lots about how things will be for him (and consequently us) in the next few years...when he's qualified he reckons it will be four months on / two months off.. and you can imagine there will be a few things reorganised here to fit in with his home time.. weddings, Christmasses and babies maybe..!!!

Yesterday we made the most of the Indian Summer, the hottest weekend in October in years, and went out in the boat. Out the back of St Michaels Mount, laying in the sun, more eats, more chat./.. mmm, if only we had the wine too... mental note for next year!

On the way in we had to anchor up and wait for the tide.. I took this great shot of a water-skier going through a great sky..it's not great quality as (the photographer that I am) I had no memory card and a duff battery in the camera, so I was on the old delayed reaction mobile phone camera..had a bunch of pics of a sedate dolphin swimming by, but the little guy had always gone under by the time the lens kicked in!!

I do love it when there is clouds and they make the sun peeking through have such personality.. and it always reminds me that somewhere, up there, are a good few peple watching over us..saying Hi.

... the evening was lovely too.. in our books.. Domino's BoGoF and then Spooks at 9pm and the MotoGP before bed..perfickt!

And for Karen's vehicle challenge I am using another of Jordan's lovely shots...we got the Brio out last week and it was a hit with Lilly..

(Ross had fun cleaning it up and laying out a track, after all it was his thing 23 years ago..)

I really like the way Jordan has kept Lilly on the edge of the image, it makes it look ala Gulliver's Travels I think.

Oh.. and for nothing bar the acknowledgment, here is another tray of JB's cakes..

Zac

2011-10-01T12:34:00.001+01:00

Zacs post

Now that's what I call..

2011-09-25T17:17:00.000+01:00

.. a Family Portrait.

My Mum's parent's wedding picture. Joe Tommy warren married Leonora Edna Jewels on July 28th 1916.

He was a local school teacher who had been drafted to the war.

This is a page from the Penberth / 2K's album I did for my brother's 60th.

Linking in..

2011-09-25T17:07:00.004+01:00

.. to Karen's photo challenge...here ... looking out a family portrait in my Picasa gallery...wonder what I'll find. It's near on impossible to get one of us all together and lots I've posted before..

b4 photoshop!

...this one is a jumble of fun though, not really very well organised (and Jordan had to photoshop the legs behind out), but is of my Col and all but one of the kids. Lisa complained when I used a similar one as screen saver, or was it a desktop.. well, to be fair Jordan tried photoshopping her into it, but as the pic was of her lying on a bed, it was very funny... okay, so you had to be there!

I realised this week that I haven't scrapbooked any photos from our original Maldives trip, when all the kids came, maybe as the pics aren't digital and to be honest, not as nice.. but I should do some..

Sunny Saturday..?

2011-09-24T11:13:00.000+01:00

Yeah, worse than this..

Every time I see the MSN homepage this last few days it has been bleating on about the 27 degrees we're all going to have this weekend, 'break out the barbecues', 'dust down the deckchairs'.... yeah right..

... real wet (and I mean wet) mizzle / drizzle stuff here..so what is the great thing about the south west micro climate again?

Different strokes..

2011-09-19T19:13:00.000+01:00

Col's away for a few days and the house is different without him! Jordan always says so, but this time the difference is palpable. Guess maybe we've been hanging out together quite a bit lately, what with JB and Ross working anti-social hours, Kate being at that teen stage and Zac being away, that one extra person out of the routine is certainly noticed.

I'm not sure if it's the lack of 'Air Crash Investigation' coming from the sitting room, the lack of chores being done between work and tea time or just the lack of him being about the place. Everyone seems so much quieter and we lack the kind of central conversation.. and there was me thinking that I was the one who was always in the middle.... or is that another thing altogether?

So... I should be sorting some stuff and getting stuck into some of the monthly challenge layouts (I owe since about May!) but thought first I'd put fingers to keyboard and also catch up with some emails... yes, Michele, you're first on the list!

Definitely an autumn feel about the place, almost time for a fire in the evenings and new series of Spooks on telly.... the perfect autumn fix... looking for a picture I thought I'd share this one Uncle Bill took of Mousehole last week, kind of atmospheric indeed!

Lots of eating done too!

2011-09-17T12:58:00.001+01:00

In fact I'm not sure we did much else!

Old Coastguard Hotel.. not a squint or closed eye in sight.. Result!

Another of JB's cakes!

Another day, another Dolphin meal!

Yes, home catering too!

Before it rained on us!

And never leave a Newlyn Ice Cream off the itinerary!

Weary..(Contd.)

2011-09-17T12:43:00.002+01:00

..love Zac..

.. but for good reason.. it was a great weekend, so much socialising, eating and doing... a great family time, not everyone together all the time, but everyone had their time. The kids were working and doing their own thing some of the time and even Zac made his entrance, well flowers in lieu of his presence!

Well 3 days later I am finishing this entry, it's been a hectic week but lovely overflow from last weekend, and I owe some pictures..perhaps I should just shut up now and give them to you.. this is Uncle Bill's story board for the present shopping!

Job Done..Thumbs Up!
(and did you know my boyfriend has a belt to match
his boxers and his hat logo!)

..just what Bill had in mind...

51 is the new 50 . . ?

2011-09-10T14:49:00.010+01:00

Whilst I can hardly say my 50th birthday went past unnoticed the fact that Zac and I spent half the day on trains to and from Cardiff meant we had a kind of wearied celebration on our return. Col and I went away later in the year but I have always kind of felt like I should have marked the passing of 50 years with a more family gathering kind of occasion.

Well as those of you who really know me can vouch, I am not an early kind of person and perhaps in this case a whole year behind! A few weeks ago Colin's Uncle Bill said he was going to be in the country and hoped to come visit, and sure enough it was over my birthday weekend! I didn't make much of a deal of it, kept it kind of low-key and amazingly the last few days have been the perfect kind of family weekend. . a kind of Cornish equivalent to an Indian wedding I reckon!

Lisa and her family were going to a wedding so they came by Thurs eve, introduced their latest addition and generally hung out . . I had some great gifts, books and DVD and also a trip to see the Vagina Monolgues with two of my girls. . our first family girlie event really ... my they are all growing up. . proper presents and everything..love you xxxx

Well last eve Col's brother and co. came down to see Uncle Bill and we had a big curry night. . Iwas aided and abetted by Ross' April who has recently had the Jones family 'baptism of fire' and appears to have come through unsinged... though onion chopping brought a tear to her eyes! Then we had cake from JB and I got a clutch of great pressies. . a set of luggage? No, it was a very cool black craft baggage set and inside some great papers, letters and plenty of inspiration. . it seems Uncle Bill took pics through the whole purchasing event so there's a layout or two in just that. . .. and as they say it is the day to day moments you scrap whch make it so special.

Bedtime, late on at 2am was also a nice surprise.. go on.. guess.. No!... My Col bought me Samsung tablet and I wrote this entry on it.... while listening to the Top 30 from September 1973.. everything from 'All the Way to Memphis' and 'You Can Do Magic' !! (a momentous year, my last summer in Penberth and 13 years old, a real right of passage..

(mmm, Mandy, looks like I'm a lucky little Princess too!)

..no doubt Uncle Bill has pics of this event to follow!

PS Most amusing gift.. a plaque from Jordan...

'Remember, as far as anyone knows.. we are a Normal Family'

PPS Have had great calls from Zac too, sounds like he's having a great settling in time, and we'll see him soon.. if all the excitment of the Boat Show, ship visits and paintballing allow!

Changes..

2011-09-06T21:07:00.001+01:00

.. was always a favourite song of mine from David Bowie's Hunky Dory album, I think in 1973. My pal Teddy had it and I heard it a lot that summer before Mum and I left Penberth for the 'city of 2,000 people and streetlights', this being Phil's description of Mousehole when he sold it to me alongside a teenage life with him as a step-dad!

Needless to say, that and a bus to town every 15 minutes, rather than every 4 hours as was the case 'out Buryan way' had me singing from the same hymn-sheet. (And that in itself reminds me of my favourite poignant service for Rogation-tide, Sunday of the Sea which we had always travelled to Mousehole to celebrate with Phil and his first wife Sally, many times when I was a kid and even when Dad was alive.. they knew each other from local fishing and sometimes tied boats gunnel to gunnel and shared an 'out-sea' croust break)

Anyways, as those who really know me will be thinking.. I digress... changes.. well it's all change here this week. JB started college today, a mixture of trepidation at new beginings (not something she or I relish until it's done!) and pleasure at not being restricted by uniform and unpopular subjects.

Kate returns to school for her GCSE years tomorrow.. hopefully dance and childcare will make the basic subjects a little more bearable. Where either of them will finally settle will be one fo those unknowns until , we hope, someday things just click!

Even Lilly has had a hair trim and new shoes and coat, looking all the more like the cutest thing from TV's 'Outnumbered' as she moves on to part time school.

Zac, well his life is more or less settled now til 2016...that sounds forever doesn't it.. well he spent his 19th birthday settling into Maritime College, training to be a cruise ship deck officer. It's hard on all of us getting used to him not being around, so far it's like an extended weekend away, but somehow I think the 3 month trips at sea next year will be a little easier once we get used to him being 5 hours away..

I went to scrapbooking last Saturday, it was a nice way to spend the day after he had left.. so I payed small tribute to recent weeks and made his summer of 2011 the picture theme for a beer mat mini-album. I had mats originally in the shape of a cocktail glass but once primed they made the perfect fishy shape for what was a marine theme, so many pics this summer of fishing, boating, his holiday in Ibiza (where superyachts were more impressive that the all night clubs!) and then our last few days at home.. eating and drinking and just being us!

I think my favourite page..

Enigma.

2011-09-02T22:26:00.000+01:00

Quote of the week goes to our Lilly aged 3. Travelling home from Tesco, we passed a girl who looked a bit like Kate, just a younger version, with her friend, on the street walking along.

'I just saw a small Kate' said Lilly.

'A small Kate' I asked?

'Yes, I think it was looking for it's Mum and Dad' said Lilly.

Got me thinking.. teenagers.. a law unto themselves and sometimes in a seemingly parallel existence, all of their own.. not a kid, not a baby, not an adult.. just an entity...... 'a Kate'

.. love them both to bits!

18 years, 11 months..

2011-09-02T22:17:00.000+01:00

..and 362 days later, we have launched our Zac-Man into the world. He has been a joy, like a sponge, learning and trying, testing and practicing, everything he needs to set off .. and taking a little credit we think he's more than ready! Off to visit his first cruise ship tomorrow and follow it with uniform allocation and then, on his 19th birthday, starting his 5 year commitment to be a Deck Officer on a cruise ship.

(Hell, and they're paying him to do it...) His tutor at college says she will be telling everyone to read the newsletters and listen to the bulletins as that's where the course and Warsash open day was first brought to Zac's attention. Since then it's been a whirlwind of applications, interviews, VISA forms and medicals, but the days are finally done and we hope he had a good send off.... not least of all with plenty of ironed tee-shirts in case he doesn't get around to the washing before he comes home for a weekend in a while!

The other night he took over the ironing, it was harder for me to watch (the control freak that I am), he had the board (in my mind) back to front and the shirts upside down.. but then I realised I was watching a left handed ironer.. and a perfectionist Virgo to boot! But he did good..!

Last night we had a minor family gathering, take away, one of JB's fabulous cakes and a few stories and later on made the most of a nice fire out on the decking....

I have scrapbooking tomorrow and am nowhere near ready, just going to grab the bags from last month and hope! It's a beermat mini-album and I think I'm going to do some of this summer's 'best bits', so that should be fairly easy to organise.. if I can find the gesso.. before bed.. to prep the mats.. now, where is Jordan??

Counting down this week..

2011-08-29T18:23:00.001+01:00

Harry Flatters at 8am

... our ZacMan leaves for his new career on Friday and the girls start back at school / college next week, so it's a week of 'before I go'es. The weather looked fine, if a little breezy so Col and Zac got up early to get the boat off the moorings. I got a lie-in, woke with a frenzied start almost two hours later and managed to muster Kate to join me and Pops for what may be her only trip out fishing this summer.

Well, it went okay, true to form Kate caught a good number of fish and she and Zac had a play in the inflatable. It was so calm in my favourite spot right under Logan Rock that we could get within feet of the rocks.. and spotted a couple of snorkellers there too, it was that calm.

I just can't get enough of these rocks..

.. and it was low Spring Tide so you could walk from Porthcurno right along about 4 beaches..makes you feel so lucky to live here and most of all to be able to see it from the sea.

Yes, I reckon that should be about enough Vit D and visits to the homeland to keep me quiet for ... oh at least a month!

Perfect days...

2011-08-28T19:33:00.000+01:00

.. all round, I think everyone got something they wanted already this weekend. Us two laid in til almost lunchtime today and I got a long lazy bath. Two lots of motor racing for the boys (and me to some extent), F1 and Moto GP and a nice brunch on the .... decking, afterwards! (well it was a meal between lunch and dinner / tea, but I'm not sure what that's called?)
...then Pop's returned home from his little sortie to South Devon with tales of salsa and singing in the rain!

I finished the afternoon off with a nice hour in the sun, settling well into another Anita Shrive book...The Pilot's Wife' I really like her stuff but you have to get stuck and read them in a frenzy as they are so engrossing... as Ross' gf April found out on their flights to Palma this weekend.. gave her my last Shrive holiday read and she was well stuck in by lunchtime day1!

Jordan & Col returned unscathed from their day at the Reading Festival, with tales of rain, other people's shoes abandoned in the mud and the fun people they met. Jordan reckons she can almost die happy after seeing The Offspring; only GreenDay to see now and she's content.... ahh, I remember those teenage days when life was that simple!

This is one of Col's pics which is this week's desktop image...til Ross comes home with his super yacht pics from Palma next week..

Mud, glorious mud..nothing quite like it..

...but I particularly like this one Jordan took... from the perspective of a muddy Show-Zone wellie!

All hail to the Shoe-Zone Wellies!

All good!

2011-08-25T23:38:00.001+01:00

Well it's been a newsy kind of day.. started out with Jordan and Col setting off for some customer visits and aiming for Reading (okay, via Warwick!) and en route they went to school for Jordan's results. For a girl who claimed she was straight B's I think the A* and the A with the clutch of B's and C's is pretty damn good.

So, she's off to do some enjoyable A's and who knows what next.. currently a toss up between advertising and being a baker!

Creative Collage of JB's work.

Some of Col's relatives arrived to say hello, except Col and his Dad are both away, but Zac went karting with them and we updated all the family info, so 'job done' I'd say!

'None of the above'

My armchair doctoring was proved to be quite wrong and I do not have some incurable terminal ailment, probably in fact a virus... mmm, should tell me something.. esp next time I ponder on where some of the kid's hypochondria comes from....!

Work was fairly quiet, I guess anyone with any sense is winding down for the long weekend, so maybe tomorrow will let me catch up for once...but so easy to find a distraction isn't it. Only me and the boys in for tea so I had a wander about the shops, amazing not to have someone in tow or the mental niggle that I should be somewhere making a meal for someone..mmm, this emptier nest malarky might even lose me some weight.. all I need now is some exercise.. ahah, that old chestnut!

So busy!!

2011-08-23T21:17:00.002+01:00

... despite the weary I have been feeling quite a bit better today.. but our little Lilly was over for the day, so maybe it was a case of no choice, get busy! Funny, when you start to feel better you can't quite put your finger on how it was you felt unwell..suffice to say JB and I had a good bimble around town this morning, pushchair at the ready and got lots of chores done.... then back to the office..

.. now, there's another change.. about eight years ago I used to suggest that we had a summer shut-down like our European pals who supply us from Italy and France, but we never did, using the time to play catch up instead on all those jobs we were behind on. But this year it's gone mad, so much work has come in this month, it's almost like an end of budget-year month. Heavens knows what we'd have done if we'd shut down and closed the doors , all I know is the post box would have been very full come 1st September!

Col's December pay-day!

But, also on the good side, this means we should have a nice funnel of work in til Christmas and hopefully it will all be running along smoothly so we can go have a holiday with our girls in December....only the girls?..well Zac's had Ibiza, Ross is off to Palma this weekend and well, Lisa is having half a weekend at a wedding in September!! Poor thing, she is mad busy too..so driven and reflections of the juggler I used to be when we started out.. it's all deadlines / promises/ baby baths and sleepless nights.. as they say, that's why you have the babies when you're young!

And for those that worry that at the first sign of feeling decent I am busy again.. this is my relaxation.. out there in blog blog world.. well it will be til I get myself GooglePlus or whatever the mature version of Facebook is going to be!... and I leave it to my teens to tell me the answer to that!

...and small memory that today three years ago we were all celebrating Col's folks Golden Wedding.....

...and there we have it.. full circle, the Wedding Album I started out to scrapbook three years ago, before I started this blog and met most of the lovely people who are now part of my circle of friends.. xxxx

Spontaneous & creative?

2011-08-22T21:04:00.000+01:00

.. thanks to Picasa..x

Good start..

2011-08-22T21:00:00.000+01:00

.. to the week! Looking mellow and calm outside, we decided to go out in the boat this morning.. as Col said, that's why we live here and work for ourselves! It's really good having the boat moored in the Mount this summer, even the little inflatable trip from the beach is fun! Only me and Col, Zac and Pops, so a small crew..

.. a little visit to 'the homeland' Penberth bay and we decided to go as far as the Runnelstone to see if the fish were biting. And sure enough a good few mackeral and couple of pollock later we had had a good morning out. Col even did a proper fillet job on them and we had pan fried mackeral for tea.. quite the 'two men in a boat' cooking experience!!

The weather was quite threatening but this moody look around the Mount didn't actually come to anything and the afternoon in the office was hot & sunny.. but with the mroning out I couldn't really moan! Maybe I'll tweak the photo and see if I can make it even moodier, then it'd be a good contribution to Karen's 'creative' challenge.

Results Days..

2011-08-21T20:25:00.000+01:00

.. just ain't what they used to be.

I remember the days when 'A' levels results day brought many surprises, both good and bad, while now they just seem to deliver confirmation of the final few assessments done since Easter. The days of it all depending on 12 hours solid writing at the end of two years are done, and many would argue this is a good thing, not least of all those who fear exams and the pressure it entails.

So, Zac got what he expected, a final result of 3 B's, a great result we all respect when they included Maths and Physics. subjects you can't waffle your way through as I did with all my Sociology and stuff way back when! So in a couple of weeks he's off to Maritime College and starts the term with a visit around the Grand Princess cruise ship in Southampton.. good one!

I amused myself earlier with some pics of Zac and Colin doing some decking, realised how well it works in with Zac's training for 'Deck Officer'.. haha, plenty training in decking done here this week!

I have been so weary this week (but hopefully getting to the bottom of that this week) and they have worked so hard in the evenings, so it was great to have a proper garden tea this evening.

Jordan & Ross both working lots and Kate, well at 14 it's hard work just having fun isn't it!
JB gets her GCSE's next Thursday and then she's off to the Reading Festival with Colin ...wellies and sun block at the ready, well you have to be ready for every eventuality in UK!

For Karen..

2011-08-21T20:11:00.002+01:00

.. as you may know I'm not a big flower photo taker.. but last Christmas Zac's girlfriend Lucy bought me this amazing white orchid. It lasted about 5 months and then lost all it's flowers.. I was just about to dispose of it when I noticed buds.. and this is the second wind..

Later, in March when Lyla was born, my pal Naomi bought me a pink one and it has flowered ever since..such fantastic resilient blooms, to last so long in my house too!...

Busy weekend!

2011-08-14T23:23:00.001+01:00

Our house has been full all day.. it's Col's Dad's birthday and Zac had his posse over playing paintball this afternoon, so Lisa and the girls came by for the afternoon, then we had tea and cakes, including scrummy banoffee pie and this 'Fish Cake' Jordan worked so hard to make last night.

We had fun yesterday cooking lasagna for tea and Jb made mini Victoria sponges in our new pans from Lakeland.. oh what a place that is, a cook's heaven.. we came home with everything from Pirate cupcake decorations to new enamel pans, perfect for home-made rice puddings!

This evening was fun too, we watched Ross' van reach the end of it's bid phase. It was close but it looks like the surf van period of his life is drawing to a close..here's a little pic just in case you haven't seen 'Charlie' in the flesh!! Domino's pizza when the girls came home from their adventures made for a great end to the day!

Nine days later..

2011-08-09T21:45:00.000+01:00

... not sure I have much to show for them, but must have been busy not to have written before. Mind you, with Karen away on her delicious cruise there is less going on here so maybe I'm looking less too!

Been feeling a bit under the weather, can't quite put my finger on it, reminds me of how I used to feel at end of term at Uni.. maybe it's that 'run-down' thing Mum used to say I had when she was kindly telling me to stay home more and get some early nights!

I think also my neck has been acting up, I got told about ten years ago I had 'more than average wear and tear' on it (5 kids, carried on hip at 30 months each is a good start when I wonder why!), and it seems whatever I do my arms and neck are in there getting busy...yes, cooking, blogging, working, ironing and worst of all even the sandpapering and distressing of scrapbooking.

So last eve I made the effort to lay down and watch some TV.. and promptly fell asleep.. seems I must have needed it!

Scrapbooking on Saturday was great, Emma was there for the first time in a few months and it was great to catch up.. she has her new extension (and decking) almost done, so it was nice to see how a happy bunny feels!! Mind you, I now have wayrock (?) screwed to mine so maybe it is forward movement and perhaps the promise of birthday tea outside for Pops on Sunday will spur on the deck! Watch this space.. Pat has had a new grandchild, almost every month one of us has some family news or another.

Our baby Lyla is coming along leaps and bounds, almost crawling (thanks to laying on her belly for sleeping maybe?) and she just smiles at everything!

No Way!

Big sister rules our roost as much as she can a couple of days each week, but it's so refereshing to see her.. and hear her angle on the world according to a 3-year old! Here she models today's fashion accessory and I have pics of her mum in just the same outfit 20 yrs ago! Love it!

What a difference..

2011-07-31T14:33:00.001+01:00

.. a week makes..today I can report a much less pleasing weekend.. though not a complete disaster, just no way as fab as last week! The world here is grey today, so humid it turned to drizzle and now rain.. at least the boys have the prospect of Jenson Button winning the GP to keep them excited.

As for me, I got up feeling a little low so not wanting to lose the day to the doldrums I set to work using up all the odds and ends of food we have in the cupboard.. hence the Domestic Goddess in me was reborn.. between 11 and 1.30 I turned out Banana Loaf, Apple Crumble, Pizzas, Curried Cauliflower Soup and currently a work in progress.. Marinated Mackeral... yes, just like 'Mommy use to Bake' And if I'm lucky everyone will be happy with 'Easy Tea' this evening.. who knows I may get a film in or some scrapbooking!

Col and his Dad went fishing yesterday, an early start at 8am and then through til about 4pm. They caught a good few mackeral and some fantastic cod.. here's the pic to prove it!...

Didn't he do well!

I spent yesterday morning with Kate at a kind of model casting session for a range of make-up ; it was a bit disorganised, which always makes you feel a little better for some reason.. better that than to be on the back foot I always think! They told the girls not to overdo thier hair, so they all turned up with kind of 'just out of bed' heads, not preened and also with no make up as requested. Trouble is they did the make up for photos and just left the hair, I think the girls will generally be a bit disappointed when they get some new pics but with yesterday's hair! Oh well, everyone was very nice and it was an insight of sorts into how things can be.. locally anyway!

Jordan, Zac & Ross all worked the morning, it was very odd to be 'home alone', in fact I always have a plan of things to do when I 'have the time', but then a couple of coffees and a bit of Tv later, I'm running late again! JB met Col off the beach at Porthcurno and this is one of the pics they took of Pops, holding anchor in the boat..look at those beaches!

Grand Days Out!

2011-07-24T21:14:00.000+01:00

Well when the guys in our office ask what I did this weekend I shouldn't have any trouble remembering.. it's been fab. I fitted so much in and have seen lots of lovely people too. Getting up at 7am certainly gives you lots of scope, not sure I can do it every weekend, but fine weather and a plan certainly got me going yesterday!

JB worked for a few hours out west Saturday and I collected her from the Minack. We bought our new annual tickets and made a pact to go there for lunch a lot more.. the bay was 'Harry flatters' and Treryn Castle had hardly a wave breaking. A new drama company had just arrived for rehearsals and JB did this nice little pic with a warmify eefect courtesy of her sunglasses!

We had some good times planned..and I was like a pig in smelly stuff. Next stop St Levan church, flowers for M&D, a little sit in the sun and a quiet reflection on the personalities and family we remembered there.

Next stop Penberth, I was armed with some old photos which I wanted to place in the current location ala http://www.dearphotograph.com/ .. it wasn't quite as easy as I'd hoped because you have to try and have something in the background you can line up with the old photo.

We played with a few and Jordan said she could also play with the options in photoshop, so we'll see what comes up. On the way down cove we met some cousins and old friends, stopped to chat (JB patient as ever.. dozing in the warmth of the car!).. it was so cool, we talked about how fantastic the first paddle or the first trip out in the boat for the year is a real moment, you feel renewed, replenished.. I wanted to try the photo thing outside Favell's house, especially as one of the children in the photo was also there, but was persuaded to wait til Favell has a new wooden gate.. just like in the picture.

We also said how cool it would be to have a communal sharing of the old photos we all have.. hoping that night happen..

...and the tide was just right, nice enough to paddle, just wish I'd taken along my old photo of Ross having his first paddle in front of Will Tom's rock.. but instead JB took some of me..

And true to my scrapbooking I came back home and bought myself this lovely pebble stamp I'd seen on e-bay... I think I'll have lots of photos where it will make a great background..

Today me and my three girls and the babe went on Lisa's birthday shopping trip to Plymouth.. everyone came home with several bags of swag , Lyla was brilliant, loved being carried around by Auntie Kate and her pram was definitely better than any shopping trolley!

.. so, now to watch some TV and say hi to the week..

Ahhh, cute!

2011-07-21T21:33:00.000+01:00

Couldn't resist taking this picture of my biggun and the baby this morning just after 8am! Kate was just heading out the door, to trudge to the school bus-stop, (her pet hate.. school / school bus/ anything to do with school) when Ross asked her why she was going so soon, didn't she want a lift at 8.30?

This is the resultant cuddle.. if it had happened before he offered then it would have been a definite example of what mum would have called 'cupboard love'!

Funny the little phrases we get used to... my hairdresser and I were talking about old films and I mentioned that Fatal Attraction has been on quite a bit lately...we wondered whether the term 'bunny boiler' would still be used by our kids..or will it die out with the generation who grew up with the film?

Just wondering..as I do!

From a different perspective?

2011-07-16T12:11:00.001+01:00

I'm not sure I'll get chance to play photographer again this week, so this little one snuck into the challenge.. I took it the other week at the Seal Sanctuary.

Karen's offerings are here : http://memycameraeye.blogspot.com/

If this is the view us grown-ups get, I wonder if the kids could take pictures how they'd see the world... generally looking 'up'..

And then I found out.. great that digital camera's allow kids to play photographer without worrying about the wasted film!

Special days..

2011-07-16T12:00:00.000+01:00

.. like birthdays seem to be around every corner with a family our size, but this week Ross and Lisa have celebrated and now our Lilly is 3 years old today. (I think this is the point where I remember my brother and then our pal will in the US .. and .. and ..!)

Happy Birthday Honey!
(.....I'm not Honey, I'm Lilly!)

Kate had a school trip to Alton Towers yesterday, a 24 hour trip out, so as we were going to be out late fetching her.. good excuse to have a pizza and go see a film.. 'Bridesmaids'.. can recommend it, a not too gooey, proper film for girls.. and boys. It's just funny! And I managed to shop on the way back, treading water til we met Kate, and it was great to miss the crowds.. though the shelf stackers didn't make the journey too easy.

Today is on hold as the mizzle has descended and it's kind of a grey day...but maybe a nice excuse to take a day off gently.. a little tidying and a few chores, but by evening we should have ticked the boxes!

Jordan's keen to bake a cake and as Lilly has lots of goodies I can see Zac's going to enjoy a 'welcome Back from your Holiday' cake.. he likes cake, any cake!

And there we were..

2011-07-14T19:24:00.002+01:00

Not our Boat!

We set off from the Mount harbour in brilliant sunshine, almost like summer! Set off across Mount's Bay with Jb at the helm, it was lovely to get out and have a change from the norm...

.. not much fish about and not much desire from me and Jb to do anything but close our eyes and enjoy the sunshine and the sea air.

I often get teased about 'the Nostalgia Tour' I take friends and family on where I used to live, and today we did it from the sea, calling close in to Lamorna and Penberth and along the coast, somehow even Colin was happy to play along, maybe because he didn't need to wish he had a seat and a book while I met someone I knew!

I cannot go there without thinking that nothing there has changed since I was a child, or my Dad, or his Dad, was a child. Yes. maybe the little fields around the corner are no longer nicely tended, maybe there's a life ring or two around, but the age-old granite outcrops will stay firm and outlive us all. (and the Geology 'A' level girl in me loves those granite cliffs for all kinds of reasons.. how did they cool so slowly so deep under the ground, how did the crack as they cooled, yet still hold together over many centuries?

Karen set a challenge to take some pictures from a different perspective and I got some lovely shots of Penberth from the sea, not your usual view of the capstan or the house by the sea. I know they're not that different a perspective but.. I tried, and will continue to do so.. til Sunday.

It's just great to see it from another angle...

.. and as a complete change from the natural world, Kate is off to Alton Towers tomorrow for the day (a long one at that!) with school.

Summer?

2011-07-14T12:06:00.000+01:00

Stand by your beds.. it looks like summer is today this year! The tide's high around tea time and we're going to grab the chance to get out this afternoon.

Can't wait to feel the cold water on my feet and the chill in the air and the spray soaking us as we fight our way back in......no, seriously it's not always exactly what I want to do, but when I've been out I am almost spiritually replenished..watch this spot.. camera is packed!

Oh and when browsing for a pic I found this one ages ago on some website connected to Penberth.. the guy leaning over the boat is Michael Batten and the tall guy is my brother, about 1972 I reckon..

Sunday weekly!

2011-07-10T19:16:00.002+01:00

It's getting a bit that way, only managing to settle to some blogging on a Sunday, but hey, better than a blogless fortnight or more like before when I've needed the 'Karen-prod'

It's been a hectic week, we put off a trip to meet friends in Amsterdam as we are so behind at work and what with other family doing their own thing it was going to be a small logistical moment to organise and relax enough to make the time really enjoyable.

Also.. Ross turned 25 on Friday! Half my life and all of his.. I told him that so far he'd just been practicing and now he could go enjoy all he's learnt.

I think he liked that and it's true really, you don't even realise you're alive 'til you hit the teens and then you make all the mistakes 'til your twenties! He's loving surf coaching and the summer will kick in now and keep him busy for several months.

Some of his best pals came over for a barbecue and he and Colin did a great job prepping the vans / field / barbecue and it all went smoothly. (Lilly was centre of her world as ever and took a liking to Ross' mate, always fun to watch her dictating the odds and the guy in question toeing the line.. amazing talent at three, it will be interesting to see her at twenty three!!)

It's quite an odd feeling thinking I've been a mum for half my life. but those times when you wonder what you've actually been doing and you look at the family and think to yourself.. yeah, I ticked the box!

Meanwhile, Zac and Lucy are sunning it up in Ibiza and we're waiting to hear all his stories when he gets back next weekend..

.. we tried to get a trip out in the boat today but weather stopped play, it was just too grey and sloppy looking to make it worth the effort. So we retired back home and enjoyed the British GP from Silverstone..always fun as being an old airfield it's often wet one side and sunny the other.. makes for interesting tactics! Just glad we weren't there camping.. or anywhere camping to be honest.. why would anyone do that when en-suite is an option???

As usual for the last few weekends I've had a grim headache this afternoon.. been analysing it and usually need a sleep to clear it, but today I tried a cup of coffee and a hot bath and it worked.. as I thought..it's caffeine withdrawl! By lunch in the week I'd generally put away about six cups of tea or coffee, weekends are different.. don't want to give the coffee up though..mmmmm.... go to intravenous maybe?!

Super Sunday..

2011-07-03T19:39:00.000+01:00

.. weather and those seals and sea lions at Gweek are amazing underwater..

'Not the Same'

2011-07-03T19:31:00.001+01:00

Then it was time for a little speed scrapping.. more of UB's photos but unusually I noticed a batch of photos of me and Jordan, usually she's taking the photos....we had a day to 'the wester'd' back in December 2009 when UB and his lady came to visit.. Sennen and the Minack.. I love the photo of us shopping., you don't usually take photos in the shop do you.. oh but Uncle Bill did!

And I'm getting to grips with Jordan's old camera, hence the better photos.. this one in macro, (Ooooh, listen to me!).. showing off the combination of Prima flowers, a clothes tag Not The Same', a birthday card and some Betty Boop calendar elements.. true scrapping as Lisa would say!

It was lovely to scrap an ordinary day, not a big event, makes you realise how many days and comfortable moments we'd not remember so well, if it wasn't for the photos.. and now the scrapbooking! And JB and I certainly have some very comfy moments.. especially shopping!

Worth the effort...

2011-07-03T19:20:00.000+01:00

.. of the anticipation and the thinking about.. a great day yesterday at Newlyn, a small compliment on the Just Scrapbooking team but it seems to be the way of things in the summer.

As planned I took some of Uncle Bill's photos of the Mount and Newlyn, with copies printed in soft focus on watercolour paper.. the texture and colours were lovely and then when I used the 'technique of the day', grunging the two photos into the background it came into it's own. I loved the seashell stencils and once again it set me off browsing e-bay for bits and pieces today too!

It was nice too to use some of the little extras I've been hoarding for ages, fishing rub-ons and little pewter seahorses...needless to say I've come home with a pot of texture paste to play with, and Linda tells me it works if you mix with acrylic paint.. messy play coming up!