Oh Brave New World

I'm back!

2010-09-13T20:24:00.000+01:00

Not bloggered for a couple of years! Wow.

Lots has changed lots has stayed the same. I am now a qualified and registered dog trainer and behaviourist. I run Good Dog Training School and work full time for another organisation. I'm going to see if some old friends are still about. Manic Monday, Wordless Wednesday etc...

Snow!

2007-11-18T20:45:00.000Z

Yep the first snow of winter tonight! It's only November for goodness sake!

Spirit of Corby

2007-09-08T21:25:00.000+01:00

This is one of 10 photos I've taken for an exhibition at the camera club I go to. The photos were up for judging last week and I have been told that this was voted for by everyone.

It's a sculpture in the middle of the shopping centre. Just because I could I stood underneath it to take the shot. Most people take a side on photo because they haven't realised that there's a gate in the fence that surrounds it.

The scultpure is called "Spirit of Corby". Corby is a steeltown in the Midlands. It was famous for the steelworks that were here from the 1930s until the 1980s. There is a pipeline under the sea (known as Pluto) made from Corby Steel. The sculpture represents the molton steel as it is pored into moulds.

New start

2007-08-22T12:40:00.000+01:00

Well I've not Blogged in months but thought I really should keep it up. I just don't have that much time.

I've found a new template which I really like. I love those birds!

I really want to have a go at making my own template so keep an eye on this space :D I think a photo blog might be on the cards too.

Manic Monday

2007-06-25T16:33:00.001+01:00

Not played for ages but thought I should! Couldn't see this week's questions (but it is still early in the USA) so here are last weeks!

Do you listen to music regularly? What's your favorite way to listen-- radio, CD, iPod...?
I listen to the radio in the car and sometimes in the office.

When listening to music do you tend to focus more on the lyrics or the melody?
A catchy tune usually gets me hooked then I listen to the lyric.

If you had to pick a theme song to sum up your life right now, what would it be?
Soulmate by Natasha Bedingfield.

Scrapbooking the secret

2007-06-19T13:44:00.001+01:00

This weeks secret was all about your secret wishes. It was both hard and easy. Hard because there are so many things I could have done, easy because I decided to focus on my illness. Then when I took this photo in my garden it all fell into place.

I have slightly tweeked the photo. Just by draining the colour so that it reflects how ME makes me feel, drained of all colour and also for the text to show up. The text colour is from the photo in it's slightly drained form.

scrapbooking the secret

2007-06-10T20:12:00.000+01:00

Here's mine for this week. I had so many things I could have put on a layout. I even revisited one from a while ago that was called "my favourite things". But as I love this photo and it was only taken last week I had to use it.

The sad news today is my camera has broken so if anyone wants to donate a digi SLR then I will be your best friend forever :) I'm not fussy; a 10m Canon or Nixon would do, especially if it comes with a couple of lenses.

Ian McKellen and the Stage Door Jenny

2007-06-07T12:57:00.000+01:00

Eventually got to see King Lear at Stratford on Avon. The tickets were bought last September and this week was the only one with free spaces!

It was good, Ian McKellen is a great actor, if you ever have the chance to see him live then do so. He really potrayed Lear's descent and mental breakdown wonderfully. The ensemble were brilliant. Loved Sylvester McCoy's fool and Philip Winchester's Edmund. This guy is one to watch, he reminds me of Sean Bean and will really go places I think. You may have seen in in the 2004 production of Thunderbirds.

So glad Sylvester McCoy was the fool as this play is dark and really needs the lift he gave it. He is still my favourite Dr Who.

As Mum is disabled we parked in the bays round the side of the theatre right by the stage door. As luck would have it, when we went back to the car at the end of the night Ian McKellen was coming out to do some signing. Of course we had to have him sign for us. We had passed him in the street earlier and thought it unfair to disturb him then. He was not working and I hate it when I get stopped in the street, so know the feeling; although I always try to be polite. I even got recognised in a craft shop the other day.

Seems that the karma paid off. Here's the photo of Mum getting her ticket signed, of course I had to scrap it.

Shhhhh it's secret

2007-06-03T21:27:00.001+01:00

I'm taking part in scrapbooking, the secret. This weeks prompt is being grateful. As readers will know I was in a car accident in February. Used this as my inspiration and came up with the picture you can see above.

Caption competition

2007-05-14T20:45:00.000+01:00

Manic Monday

2007-05-14T16:37:00.000+01:00

Is it easier for you to forgive or to forget?
Forget. I have a brain like a sieve! I will admit there are people I haven't spoken to for years and some people I have to speak to and rather I didn't. Sometimes I can even remember the reason. But probably connected to the answer below.

Do you believe people can change?
Yes but often not for the better. Although I'm never sure if they were like that all along and just waiting until they had your trust before dumping from a great height

Has life made you more cynical or more hopeful?
After reading my answers I'd have to say cynical.

Long time no see!

2007-05-14T12:45:00.000+01:00

Wow I've not blogged in such a long time. Well 2 weeks but it feels a lot longer.

Things have been happening in the forum world. Craft Kingdom is no more, it has joined forces with Craft UK. There is a link in the side panel. This place is buzzing.

Just after the two forums joined a third forum had a massive blow out. Someone said something that another person didn't like. It had to do with QVC and the Today's Special Valve. For those who are crafters and know about these things.

Anyway the powers that be clamped down so a whole bunch of people who believe in free speach have moved onto Craft UK. You will never have had so much fun on a forum. This has pretty much taken up a huge chunk of my life in the past couple of weeks as I am a Mod on the Craft UK forum, so there has been a lot of forum watching happening. And glitches to be checked on and sorted.

Don't be put off by the name, if you live outside of the UK and would like to join the forum we would be more than happy to welcome you.

Update on Cam

2007-04-27T11:13:00.000+01:00

Hurray he's home!

Picked him up yesterday at 3.30pm. He'd been on a drip for 24hrs and was eating a little without being sick. Fortunately this meant that the vet didn't need to cut him open to see if there was anything that wasn't showing up in the other tests.

I'd like to thank all our lovely friends who have phoned, texted, emailed or left messages in other ways for thier support.

So although it cost a lot of money I know that Cam doesn't have any other problems that you would associate with an old dog. His heart, liver and kidney are all fine. He has no "masses" or tumours. And all the other blood tests came back as normal. It would seem that for some reason this bout of colitis was a bad one and knocked him off his feet.

The only thing with colitis is that there is no prevention, it is something that progresses with time. Some dogs have infrequent attacks. Such as Cam and some end up with it constantly.

Todays big news. Well he pooped real poop! So he no longer has the runs. It is very strange to see an elderly dog bounce about like a puppy just because he pooped. He has always been prone to do "Snoopy dances" when he's happy.

Poorly boy

2007-04-24T12:38:00.000+01:00

My dog is still sick and is now in hospital. He's suffering from a colitis attack and the vet wants to give him an x-ray and put him on a drip.

He's blood results are all clear, but he is dehydrated. The vet gave me some glucose powder to put in his water but the doggy doesn't like that and drank out of the spring. Vet not happy! But if the dog is dehydrated surely drinking is what he needs to do?

Not entirely sure why they need to give him an x-ray for colitis. It's to check that he's not got any "masses", although none can be felt and he's not loosing weight.

If you want to visit his vet, there is a website here

Manic Monday

2007-04-23T16:24:00.001+01:00

For someone that you love deeply would you be willing to move to a foreign country knowing that there would be little chance of seeing your friends and family again?

Only if the language spoken is English as I can't speak anything else! Seriously, Quite probably as with all the methods of communication about it's not as if you'd never speak to them again. I would miss my Mum, but what girl wouldn't. I would have to insist on taking my pets; "love me, love my dog". And I'd prefer if it was warm.

If you could spend a year in perfect happiness but afterward remember nothing of the experience, would you do it?

Doesn't seem to be any point to that! Could I scrapbook it?

My poor blog seems to be feeling a little neglected lately. The ME/CFS has been getting the better of me and I've been to wiped to blog. Had to take time off work because of yet another bout of tonsilitis. Back onto the anti-biotics.

My dog is sick as well. Had to have blood tests and I'm waiting for the vet to phone with the results. He hasn't been eating unless I force feed him, although he is drinking. He has also been down in the dumps. Picked up when the postman came, loads of barking and very animated.

Wordless Wednesday in April

2007-04-17T16:28:00.000+01:00

Wordless Wednesday

2007-04-11T14:11:00.001+01:00

Love my phone

Manic Monday on Wednesday

2007-04-11T13:30:00.000+01:00

What flavor of ice cream best describes your personality?
I only like vanilla but I think Rocky Road or Choc Chip would be good choices.

If your life was a weather vane, which direction would it be pointing right now?
Due South!

What is one field or profession that you have never pursued, but that you think you would most likely have been quite good at?
I started to study law, loved all the logical bits. Other stuff? Zoologist, IT technician, Airline pilot, Ruler of the (not so) free world, Brain surgeon, Marine biologist, Personal shopper...

2007-04-06T12:17:00.001+01:00

You scored as Alice. You're a dreamer with a vivid imagination and the curiosity of a cat (perhaps YOUR cat?). You enjoy nonsense, and prefer it to the real world.

Alice

69%

The Mad Hatter

63%

Cheshire Cat

56%

White Rabbit

38%

Caterpillar

38%

Queen of Hearts

38%

Tweedle Dee & Dum

31%

Which Alice in Wonderland Character are YOU?
created with QuizFarm.com

Friday Feast

2007-03-23T12:08:00.000Z

Appetizer
Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?
I like Bill Turnbull. BBC Brreakfast news, because his sense of humour is apparent and because he is not afraid to make a fool of himself. He is happy to have a go at most things including Strickly Come Dancing (Dance with the stars for US)

Soup
Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.
Chicken - there is always chicken.
Ice Cream - a big tub
Vegtables - all kinds because they're my nod to healthy eating.

Salad
If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?
I'd really have to think hard, it would depend on where it is. Mountain region, surrounded by countryside. Or I could be totally egotistical and name it after myself :)

Main Course
What will most likely be the next book you read?
There are a few stacking up.
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Da Vinci code - yep I still haven't read it
Or course the next Harry Potter
and I want to read King Lear before I go and see it

Dessert
What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?
Smell! It's what I notice about everyone. I really can't cope with the unwashed smell.

Thursday Thirteen (Dydd Iau un deg tri)

2007-03-22T00:08:00.000Z

Thirteen things in Welsh. With pronouciations and translations.
My Welsh isn't brilliant but I thought it would be a fun TT.
Every letter is pronounced - unlike English were there are silent letters. The accent is on the last but one syllable. Today I'm concentrating on things to do with the weather but some other bits as well. Oh! somethimes there are differences between North and South words so I'll use north as that is where my Great Grandmother was from but it really doesn't make a huge difference.

1. Celfyddydau (Celfithudow) = Artistic/crafty/creative

2. Sut ydycg chi? (sit uhdich chee) = How are you? (north welsh)

3. rwy'n (rooeen) I am (north welsh)

4. Mae hi'n (mahee heen) It is

5. Y tywydd (uh tuhoo-idd) The weather

6. Oer (Oheer or Ohr) = cold

7. Boeth (boyth) = Hot

8. Bwrw glaw (Booroo glahoo) = raining

9. bwrw eira (booroo eheerah) = snowing

10. heulog (heheelog) = sunny

11. wyntog (oointog) = windy

12. gymylog (gyhmulhog) = cloudy

13. Nos da (nohs da!) Good night

Hope you had a fun time learning Welsh. Maybe I'll do it again. To visit more Thursday Thirteens go to the home page here.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-03-21T00:00:00.000Z

Arrrrrgh

2007-03-20T17:01:00.000Z

Blogger has been a pain and I've not been able to sign in for a couple of days. It's sent me mad! Well now I can get in I'll have to sort out Wordless Wednesday and think about Thursday 13. Anyone fancy a Welsh lesson?

Wordless Wednesday 14 March 2007

2007-03-14T00:04:00.000Z

Manic Monday 12 March 2007

2007-03-12T15:41:00.000Z

Imagine you are on a first date and the person you are with has food stuck in his/her teeth. Would you tell him/her? What if he/she had food on their chin, nose or shirt?

Yep, of course otherwise they would be wondering why I've spent the whole time with a silly smirk on my face! Plus it would save them the embarressment of someone else (like the waiter) pointing it out. I'd hope they'd show me the same curtesy.

Not sure how to get food onto the nose though!

What breakfast cereal best describes your personality?
I don't eat cereal and am not sure if UK cereals will translate to USA. But probably Crunch nut cornflakes. I'm nutty and flakey and sweet like honey :D

Who would you most like to have a dream about tonight? What would you like to dream?
I'd just like a full night's sleep! Hahahahaha.

Those who know me well will know who I'd like to dream about and what that dream would entail. Those who don't know can take a wild guess!

just for a laugh

2007-03-09T16:04:00.000Z

One day, a man came home and was greeted by his wife dressed in a very sexy nightie. "Tie me up," she purred, "and you can do anything you want."
So he tied her up and went golfing.
**************************************************

A woman came home, screeching her car into the driveway, and ran into the house. She slammed the door and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Honey, pack your bags. I won the lottery!"

The husband said, "Oh my God! What should I pack, beach stuff or mountain stuff?"

"Doesn't matter," she said. "Just get out."
**************************************************

Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is a husband. **************************************************

A Polish immigrant went to the DVLA to apply for a driver's license.

First, of course, he had to take an eye sight test. The optician showed him a card with the letters:

'C Z W I X N O S T A C Z.'

"Can you read this?" the optician asked.

"Read it?" the Polish man replied, "I know the guy."
**************************************************

Mother Superior called all the nuns together and said to them,

"I must tell you all something. We have a case of gonorrhea in the convent."

"Thank God," said an elderly nun at the back. "I'm so tired of chardonnay." **************************************************

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.

Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen.

"Careful," he said, "CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my GOD! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my GOD! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful . CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!"

The wife stared at him. "What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?"

The husband calmly replied, "I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving."

For all those hip cats

2007-03-08T13:04:00.000Z

I know there area a lot of blogging cats out there so I thought I'd share this. Found it on You Tube

Feeling Blurgh

2007-03-08T12:39:00.002Z

Wow it's a long time since my last post. To be honest I haven't been on the internet a lot at all recently. Not been visiting my favourite forums (listed left). Even Craft Kingdom hasn't been getting the usual attention.

I have been super busy at work. For some reason I am expected to do what they want me to all day! The newsletter has been produced and mostly posted, but the photocopier packed up today and I am waiting for the engineer to call. I have been exhibiting and interviewed by the BBC. I have an excellent face for radio :D The week after next I have 3 days that I will not be at my desk for various reasons and next week I have one day out.

I have been so tired after work that it's been all I can do to watch the baby panda at Atlanta Zoo's website. I've been tired a lot since my car accident, but it seems to be starting to pass. Look out next week I hope to get some dented car pictures up for Wordless Wednesday.

I have added babelfish to the sidebar so that any one who's first language isn't English can get a translation into their own. A pretty nifty peice of software I think. Let me know what you think.

Can anyone recommend a great Thursday Meme now that Thursday Thirteen is no more? I love going around and reading other people's blogs. Something else I've missed in the past week.

Wordless Wednesday 28th Feb

2007-02-28T00:00:00.000Z

Sleep

2007-02-27T09:55:00.000Z

I normally sleep on my right hand side. I haven't done for a couple of weeks. Since some peanut of a man in his big 4 wheel drive vehicle reversed out of his parking space, straight into my little car; giving me whiplash.

This morning I woke on my RHS. I have had a migraine since I woke and the tablets aren't helping. I think I'm going to crawl into a hole and hide for the day.

2007-02-26T14:26:00.000Z

What do you feel is the biggest waste of time?
Can I say work :D I'd have much more time to play if it wasn't for work! Actually I think that TV is the biggest waste of time and for those who want to know if I watched XYZ last night; no I didn't. Maybe I was scrapbooking maybe I was chatting to people but I wasn't watching TV.

I do sometimes watch TV but I can only think of 5 or 6 programmes that I love even then if I miss them life doesn't stop.

If I knew then what I know now, I ....
Still don't think I do know :D

I would have bought a house. 20yrs ago I had the chance to buy a house, but I didn't have the funds or earned enough for a morgage. Then houses cost less than £20k now to buy in house where I live you need over £100k. I could have paid a morgage if I really tried. By now it would have been paid off.

How do you feel your life has changed over the past year?
My horse's feet have got worse and I spend a lot of time watching him walk - looking for that day when it's time to make that decision. But considering he can still gallop around his pasture and kick his heels I don't believe it's yet.

I spend a lot morer time blogging than I used to. And Craft Kingdom forum started up. It'll be a year old on 1st April. It was started by my friend Mandy (aka Elphaba) and is a great little forum. We'd love more members though. We only have a few regulars.

UKS blog prompt

2007-02-25T16:07:00.000Z

Today's UKScrapper's blog prompt was to go to the My Heritage website, upload photo and see who you look like. I can see some similarities on some of them and I would be so glad if I did look like any of these women.

So who do you think I look like?

Ch -ch-ch-changes

2007-02-24T22:15:00.000Z

I have found a new layout that I love so if you are trying to read my blog and it keeps changing on you. Don't worry.

Friday Feast 23 Feb 07

2007-02-23T12:46:00.000Z

Appetizer
Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it?
Where do I start? I am covered in scars. Lots are horse induced! My best on is on my top lip, where I got kicked in the face by a rearing horse. My boy's big half sister. Same Dad, she got her Mum's temper.

Soup
What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle?
One time - before mobile (cell) phones were common but were just becoming reasonibly priced. My car broke down on a lonely country road. I was at least 3 miles from the nearest civilisation and the road is not that busy. About 5 mins later car came by and stopped.

There's me a 25yr old woman on my own having a major panic attack because 1. Do I get out and start walking? 2. No one is looking for me until at least 10pm and this was about 6pm 3. A car has just stopped - I have no idea who the people in it are!

The people in the car were a lovely elderly couple who took my Mum's and my brother's phone numbers. Drove to the nearest village and phoned them for me. They refused my offer of money for the phone call and said if they couldn't get through they'd come back and let me know. With in half an hour I had my Mum and a breakdown truck with me. I am sure that kind elderly couple were angels. in the whole time I was stuck I didn't have another vehicle go by.

Salad
Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves.
This will probably not translate into US for apologies for it but Anysley Harriott really really really... He's a TV chef, unfortunately it's hard to get away from him because although it's possible to avoid the programmes he's on he is also in the adverts.

Main Course
What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")?
I have never been told of any I said but there are some daft family words

Cutter grass - Lawn Mower, curtesy of my big brother Wolvers - wolves from two of my nephews Wellow - yellow from my youngest nephew Just remembered that I could never say soldier and always said shoulder. So my brother was a shoulder.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have always thought ______ was ______.

LOL see above - my brother was a shoulder!

Can I have I have always thought God was great?

War was/is not the answer

Wordless Wednesday 21st Feb 07

2007-02-21T00:00:00.000Z

Don't forget you can click and make it bigger

Friday Feast 16th Feb

2007-02-16T15:20:00.000Z

Appetizer
What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make?
Hmmmm my mobile (Cell) phone plays the theme from the Black Beauty TV series. Called Galloping home. My work phone ribbits like a frog!

Soup
Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.).
Overcast with sunny spells? Today I am anyway. But being a Brit I am very like our weather and am changable :D

Salad
What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects?
How to look busy without doing any actual work!

Main Course
Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read?
Anything and everything that isn't trashy.

Dessert
If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it?
It would have to have chocolate and nuts and something a little chewy like nougat, what about a little mintyness in there as well? Name would need to contain Celfyddydau, obviously. Gelf's minty nut suprise?

If you are still hungry and up for more feasting visit the offical Friday Feast site - here

Thursday 13 on Thursday 15th.

2007-02-15T10:44:00.001Z

No theme, just whatever's in my head.

1. OUCH!!! from both my car and me. A guy in a 4 wheel drive backed into me last night. I was stationary. My car has a dent and I ache. Watch out insurance claim.

2. We had snow last week. Not a lot but enough to make life interesting for a couple of days.

3. My brother visited at the weekend.

4. edited to protect the innocent.

5. My dog has a wart on his face, Bazooka Gel is getting rid of it.

6. We rearranged the offices at work. I ended up moving the entire contents of one department on my own! I had the next 2 days off with backache and I had to see the osteopath. Thank goodness I have insurance for things like that.

7. another edit :D.

8. My horse is such a baby, he wears a blanket but the other night he was shivering anyway and had to have 2 on.

9. My dog has decided that it's time to get up when it's light! He used to decide it was time to jump on the bad and suggle.

10. I started Pilates and my stomach is already flatter.

11. I need to see the osteopath again after the car accident but can't get in until next Thursday.

12. I did 7 layouts at the crop last week! I was sooooooo tired after. (for those who don't know. It's scrapbooking - making photo albums)

13. I haven't struggled with this TT as much as I thought I would. I better keep the other things in a list for another time.

Wordless Wednesday 14th Feb

2007-02-14T00:00:00.000Z

Happy Valentines! Thought that everyone would be doing love theme so I did family. Not so wordless as the pics need explaining. The four faces photo are (top left - clockwise) My Grandmother, Mother, Great Grandmother and me. The bottom left photo is me super imposed onto a photo of my Grandmother and the two way split photo is me (left) and my Great Grandmother. The photos haven't been altered at all except for the colour and obvious cropping. It is very strange looking in the mirror and seeing someone elses face, but at the same time it is very cool to be able to see how we all look the same.

For more wordless wednesdays go here.

Manic Mondays in February

2007-02-13T15:45:00.000Z

Ok so it's not Monday but better late than never!

Mr. Sandman

Do you have a regular bedtime routine that helps you get to sleep?

On average, how many hours of sleep do you get each night?

How many hours do you actually require and/or like to have?

How do you deal with insomnia?

No individual answers today, mainly because they would run into each other. I have a condition known as M.E. or C.F.S. This means that I feel like I have the flu all the time and am constantly fighting fatigue. I don't have a regular routine, although I tend to put on the TV, but I also do that in the morning to wake!
I try to get at 7 hours in my bed although I might not sleep for all of them I am resting. I would sleep all day if I could but I have to work, at the weekends I stop in bed for longer and sometimes have afternoon naps. It's not unusual for me to fall asleep on the sofa after work and then wake to go to bed only to really wake up with the moving and have trouble getting back to sleep.
I don't count what I have as insomnia, I have disturbed sleep patterns because of the M.E. I often wake in the middle of the night, somewhere between 3am and 4am. Usually just snuggle into the covers and rest until I have nodded back off; sometimes I have to go to the loo first! My dog thinks it's a cue to get up.

Want more mania? Go to manic monday

Wordless Wednesday Feb 7th

2007-02-05T23:05:00.000Z

For more wordless wednesdays go here

2007-02-05T13:35:00.000Z

Flow It, Show It- Hair, Hair, Hair!

Do you enjoy having your hair cut/styled?
It really depends on my mood, but generally I love to have my hair brushed etc.

How often do you have your hair cut?
When it is annoying me! It's getting very close now. Last cut was just before Christmas

Are you particular about what shampoo/conditioner/other hair products you use? What are your favorites?
I can only use baby shampoo or else my scalp itches and feels like it's on fire.

Do you think a man should accept his baldness or do the comb over/ toupee/Hair Club for men route?
Accept it, all the other answers look stoopid!

What steps would you take if you started to lose your hair?
I think I would probably cry, then shave it all off. I could get wigs in different colours and styles so I could have a new look everyday and in the summer loads of sun lotion. Just think of not having to wash your hair everyday.

For more Manic Mondays visit here

My WOW.

2007-02-04T14:13:00.000Z

Please vote for my WOW. You'll find it here

If you want a sneeky peek. This is it

Wordless Wednesday Jan 31st Post Sunday's tidying session

2007-01-31T09:00:00.000Z

It's all in the psot from Sunday, but I had to do a tidy up. List of what's there is in the comments.

For more Wordless Wednesdays go here

Just another Manic Monday

2007-01-29T15:54:00.000Z

Have you ever danced under the stars?
I can't remember a specific dance but I'll have done a twirly thing once or twice.

Have you ever listened in on a private conversation?
Intentionally - no, but some people talk so loudly that you can't help but overhear. What is really frustrating is when they are on a phone and talking loud enough to deafen the poor person on the other end. If it's a private conversation keep it that way please!

Have you ever splurged on something you normally wouldn't purchase? What was it?
I'm an expert at impulse buying! I really,really really really really really (you get the idea) wanted a digital camera so bought one that was far more expensive than I needed, but I made a saving because I got it from a specialist shop and it was second hand! Still more than £200. Considering I have 2 SLR camera, a caseful of lenses, a couple of compact film cameras and access to a compact digital camera. I didn't need the camera, just wanted it. It's now an appendage.

I love taking a photo and being able to print it out or put it on the internet there and then.

For more mania go here

Sunday Sunday la la la la

2007-01-28T21:48:00.000Z

There is a song like that isn't there? Hope it's not just in my head.

Had the day of all days today. Cleaned up the stash cupboard because the cutting boards from my Zip-e-mate had decided to hide. Lovely clean cupboard, not cutting mats, never mind, it only took a couple of hours. Keeping the photo for Wednesday :D But it's on Craft Kingdom if you want a sneek peek,

I did manage to find the cutting mats eventually, about 5 hours later. They were hiding in a box beside the hi-fi. No idea why and I'm sure I didn't put them there.

Had the 3 boys all day, they were brought at 10.30ish (just before) and picked up at 4.30ish. Made birthday cards for their mum and also I made one for a friend as well as an ATC valentine for another friend.

Didn't get the other stuff I needed to do done. I was supposed to sort out the old PC to give to my ex-SIL and get stuff ready to take to the crop next weekend. I am working on my wolf album so it's not too hard but need to decide on sketches. Using Basic Grey papers thoughout and keeping it simple. Because it's an album of a day then I don't really need to worry about things such as titles and journalling.

Thinking seriously about submitting for a design team, the call went out this week. I have one layout that I'll use and ideas for another item/mini book thing.

Friday Feast

2007-01-26T14:14:00.001Z

Appetizer
If you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn?

I can read music and learnt the recorder as a child. I'd love to be able to play more then one note at a time on the piano and something like the harp would be cool

Soup
Have you ever mistaken a person for someone else?
Often! But not for a whole converstation, just the sort of thing when you day "oh look theres XYZ" but it's not. Or shouted someones name but it wasn't them.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?
10! but I have a memory like a sieve anyway so you can tell me anything I'll have forgotten before you finish!

Main Course
What's the closest you've ever been to a dangerous animal?
Do spiders count? Played with wolves, used to have a snake as a child (non poisionous but my great aunt had a boa constrictor) Been really close to tigers but separated by a fence.

Dessert
When was the last time you lost your patience?
People who are bad drivers, just incase you didn't guess.

Thursday Thirteen on the 25th

2007-01-25T12:20:00.000Z

Thirteen things I've seen people do dispite the snow on the ground.

1. Walking about in a tee-shirt
2. Overtaking into oncoming traffic
3. Pull out of side street into oncoming traffic
4. Constantly tooting horn while in a line of traffic at the lights
5. Walking on the road in the direction of the traffic
6. Speeding
7. Letting small children run on icy pavements near traffic
8. Driving with no lights in bad visability
9. Not dipping headlights when traffic is coming towards them
10. Only clearing a small porthole in the windscreen
11. Talking on a handheld phone while driving
12. Turning round to tell off children in back seat of car
13. Throwing snowballs at moving traffic

Yep they are almost all traffic related and some are not just stupid but also illegal! It's bad enough that people do these things in good weather but we have snow and ice. And for some crazy reason the roads weren't gritted last night.

The guy tooting the horn was driving one of those big lorries and there was absoluting no reason for it. He kept up the tooting even after the traffic moved off and was still going at it when he took the other turning to me.

Wordless Wednesday 24th Jan

2007-01-23T10:55:00.001Z

To have a better look, click it and make it bigger.

For more Wordless Wednesday go here

Manic Monday 22nd Jan. The real one

2007-01-22T17:05:00.000Z

Here's today's questions. At least I'm all caught up.

Have you ever made snowballs and preserved them in the freezer?
Nope, but that's a great idea. Then I could throw them in summer, Thanks!

Have you ever had a cooking disaster?
One time I was following a receipe for coconut cakes, it said toss in coconut. so I threw the coconut into the bowl with all the other ingredients. What it meant was to toss handfuls of the cake mix in coconut to coat them.

Hey how was I to know? I was only 6 and the fact that I could follow a receipe is amazing to me.

Have you ever sent or received a piece of fan mail?
Mmwwhahahahahahahahahaha.

Manic Monday 22nd Jan

2007-01-22T10:32:00.001Z

Have you ever refused to tip a waiter or waitress?
No but then in the UK it's not an expected thing. If I've had great service I say thanks and leave a tip.

Have you ever been on a hayride?
Yep. Again not a UK thing so not a hayride in the US sense where you all climb onto nice neat bales and go off for a picnic. But working in a stables/farm sitting on the back of a laden trailer to go and feed.

Also done the other side where you get to ride on the back of a muck laden trailer to chuck it all off at the other end!

Have you ever driven a vehicle faster than 100 mph?
Nooooooooo my car has a panic attach if you ask it to go faster than 100kph. It'd never make it to 100mph.

For more Manic players go here

Scrapbook page

2007-01-21T21:22:00.000Z

Just for a change I thought I'd do some scrapbooking. Yep it's another digital one. I'm getting into PSE5 it's easier to do layers than PSP.

I have come across some great free digital scrapbooking sites recently and when I get around to doing something with the style sheet I'll add them to the linky things.

Thursday Thireteen on Thursday 18th

2007-01-18T09:40:00.001Z

Thirteen Things on my desk

1. A computer screen/keyboard and mouse. I need them to put this here :D The tower lives under the desk.

2. A bottle of water, it's just tap water in a mineral water bottle. I try to drink one bottle a day and it's a 2 litre bottle. So far I'm about 1/4 of the way down.

3. Face cream. It should be in my bag but I took it out

4. Tooth floss. Something else escaped from my bag.

5. Lip salve. I really need to put things back in my bag

6. Pens, a red one a black one and a pink one as well as a highlighter

7. Tissues. You never know when you are going to need a tissue

8. Bugs. Those little fluffy toy things that companies use for advertising

9. Stress dolls. Squishy ones, another advertising thing.

10. In trays. 3 of them! One is for stuf that's come in one is for pending and one is overflow!

11. Stapler. It's purple.

12. Telephone/fax machine. Don't send me a fax please it's the loudest thing in the universe

13. CDs. They come free with the paper. And are called the body and soul collection. Again stuff that should go in my bag, then maybe put away when I get home.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Wordless Wednesday 17 Jan 2007

2007-01-16T16:24:00.000Z

For more Wordless Wednesday's go here

My First

2007-01-14T21:10:00.000Z

This is the first time I've used PSE5. Used a template and being dense didn't do a title or journalling.

Bible V Cell phone

2007-01-12T09:54:00.000Z

Cell Phone vs. Bible

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled? What if we used it in case of an emergency?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don’t ever have to worry about our bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill!

Thursday Thirteen for Thursday 11th!

2007-01-11T12:19:00.000Z

Thirteen Things about My Favourite purfumes

Ones I own and wear

1. Anna Sui - Secret Wish.
The blurb on this is a great as the smell.
Translucent as a fairy's wing, mysterious as a moonlit forest,
Secret Wish embodies the enchanting essence of a fairy tale.

2. DKNY - Be Delicious
The blurb on DKNY's website is
Feast your senses on this crisp blend of American apple, cucumber,
grapefruit, and white amber.
Its bulbous, pomme-shaped bottle makes the delectable scent that
much more ripe for the spritzing

3. Miss Dior - Cherie
The website blurb for this one?
Miss Dior Cherie, someone who feels sexy in her own skin
and lives every moment.
The smell is strawberries and manderian with caramel popcorn!

4. Estee Lauder - Youth Dew
The blurb?
Simply the sexieset fragrance ever. Inviting and warm. Opulent flowers,
delicious spices, preciuos woods. A lavish feeling

5. YSL - Opium
Love the blurb
A luxury fragrance. A sheer sensuality for a voluptuous,
provocating and bewitching sent

The ones I love but don't have - yet!

6. Chanel - Chance
Fresh, floral and spicy

7. Chanel - Allure
Fresh flowers

8. Boss - Femme
Orirntal flowers

9. J-Lo Live
Citrus fruits, Orange, lemon and pineapple

10. J-lo Glow after dark
Wild, sexy, breathless! A mix of fruits and flowers

11. Estee Lauder - Youth Dew Amber Nude
Radiant Florals, dark chocolate, spices and black rose.

12. Lacoste - Touch of pink
Fresh, fruity, floral

13. Dior - Addict and Addict 2
Tangy, flowers and fruits.

I see a pattern here. I like flowery/fruity and spicy perfumes. I do not like
strong musky perfumes at all, even on other people. It's fine for the musk ox
but I am not a musk ox!

Wordless Wednesday 10 Jan

2007-01-10T13:41:00.000Z

For more Wordless Wednesday's go here

Manic Monday Meme

2007-01-08T16:40:00.000Z

This and That

Do you wear a watch every day? If so, describe it.
Not everyday but I have one that has a fushia pink wide leather strap and the face is surrounded by bling

Do you wear cologne or perfume?
Yes and this is probably going to be the topic for Thrusday Thirteen this week

What's under your bed?
I have a bed with built in draws so nothing other than dust can get under it. The drawers have clothes in.

What do you keep on your nightstand?
A bottle of water, a glowy light cube that changes colour romote controls and tissues.

For more Manic players go here

Ugly Betty

2007-01-08T11:36:00.000Z

This has just been aired in the UK this weekend. I caught the first episode last night.

I really have issues with women being classed as ugly if they wear glasses and are not stick insects and are not blonde.

This may well be because I have a few more pounds than I need. (Victoria Beckam can have them) and have myopia so need glasses. I can't wear contact lenses because I have too much calcium in my tears and the contacts get wreaked from build up. I also have dark hair.

My big bug bear is the putting on glasses makes you ugly. People have glasses because of a sight problem. They would never have gotten away with "Wheelchair Betty" .

Maybe people who think it's fun to make jokes at the expense of people with eyesight deficiencies should think about the impact this has. How many people with glasses are called "Geek" or "Nerd" or "Speccy four eyes"?

Why is it that men can wear glasses and be thought of as being good looking or intelligent? That the specs enhance them and yet for women...?

Don't anyone dare say that I can diet ( I eat less then 1500 calories a day and nothing with more than 5% fat in it), dye my hair (being blonde makes me look anaemic) or have corrective eye surgury (it costs a fortune, doesn't always work and my sight level would mean that I'd still probably need glasses).

Anyway why should women who aren't blonde and skinny have to try to fit into this wierd sense of normal and beautiful. Who's idea of female perfection is this?

Dawn French looks happier and healthier than any catwalk model. And so do I. After all beauty is only skin deep and even the skinniest person is going to get old. I so hope that Betty isn't given a make over.

Global Warming

2007-01-08T10:14:00.000Z

I was sent this in an email and thought it was so funny, I just had to share.

Friday Feast

2007-01-05T16:20:00.000Z

Appetizer
Which celebrity (or celebrities) do you think will make headlines this year?

Any that are Z list and desparate to get their new whatever noticed therefore appear on TV programmes such as "I'm a Celebrity - get me out of here" or "Celebrity Big Brother" or do something just to get into the tabloid press and magazines along the lines of "Hello"

Soup
They say that good things come in small packages? What is something little that you think is great?

I got a pendant for Christmas. It's Whitby Jet fused with Baltic Amber. My family came from the Balitcs to Whitby, Yorkshire a few hundred years ago. I love my pendant as it symbolises my family history and when I chose it I didn't know about the Baltic connection.

Salad
Name a song that makes you want to dance.
I don't feel like dancing by the Scissor Sisters :D

Main Course
What is your favorite font?

I'm a font junkie and have a load of them. I like Beyond Wonderland a lot.

Dessert
If you were to write a do-it-yourself article, what would it be about?
I really don't have a scoobie. A DIY guide to cooking in my own special style maybe? It's so easy so here it is.

Step 1. Rumage in the freezer for a ready meal
Step 2. Whack ready meal into the microwave for the spcified time
Step 3. Eat.

If you want to join in the feast go here FRIDAY FEAST LINKY THING

I love San Deigo :)

2007-01-05T10:29:00.000Z

This one is right. Actually a lot of them are but I can't be bothered with posting them all.

You Belong in San Diego

Laid back and friendly, you were meant to live most of your life on the beach.
You usually think everything is "all good"... except when the weather dips under 60F.
You stay classy - especially when you're in Tijuana!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

Thursday 13 Jan 4th 2007

2007-01-04T13:20:00.001Z

Guest blogger for the first Thursday 13 of 2007. Introducing Cam! As there are a lot of blogging cats out there I thought I'd let my dog have a go.

13 Things about Cam by Cam

1. I am a rescued dog, I was found as a young pup on the streets of Reading, Berkshire, England.

2. I have a deformed leg. But I can still run.

3. I am 12 years and 2 months old as best guess.

4. My tail was broken in two places and I have a lump on my chest from injuries before my present family took me in.

5. I like to sleep on the human's bed.

6. I can use the remote control. This is very funny and gets you attention if you change channels when the humans are ingrossed in the telly.

7. I am scared of sheep.

8. I have the loudest bark in the neighbourhood. I like to hide behind the wall and bark at people going past. It makes them jump, good exercise for them; funny for me.

9. People food is a lot tastier than dog food and they can't resist my big brown eyes.

10. I like to get wet and dirty but not wet and clean!

11. I used to work as a PAT Dog. I visited sick people in hospital, let them fuss me and give me treats.

12. The neighbour's cats think that it is funny to sit in front of the sliding glass doors and watch me bang into them when I try to chase them from my garden. I think it is funny when the neighbour's cats sit in front of the sliding glass doors without realising they are open.

13. I am actually scared of the neighbour's cats and if they stand their ground I have to run away. They have sharp claws.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wordless Wednesday 1st one of 2007

2007-01-03T19:29:00.000Z

Not totally wordless as I need to explain the photos a little. This is New Year's Day on the County Border. Although it looks like a lovely lake it's flood water. The border is marked by a river that can go from a tiny stream into a raging torrent in minutes if we have enough rain, And we had enough rain.

The flood had gone down from the day before!

2006-12-31T20:18:00.000Z

Loads of changes in blogger. I've gone over to the other side and am now using new blogger. I've not played with anything in it yet but hope to soon.

I plan to have a new layout in the next couple of weeks but I haven't got any idea of what I want yet.

I did some layouts for the wolf album today. I have put them in the gallery on craft kingdom but here's one for you.

Hope you all had a great Christmas and that 2007 is all that you want it to be.

Happy Christmas

2006-12-24T18:27:00.000Z

Happy Christmas to everyone out there. Hope you have a great holiday and that next year is all you want it to be.

Not a traditional Christmas picture but it's one I found on the internet somewhere and I love it. Totally sums up for me what it's all about.

Wordless Wednesday 13 Feb

2006-12-12T17:19:00.000Z

For more Worldless Wednesdays visit here

2006-12-05T14:32:00.000Z

I call this photo "View" It's the view out of the window behind my desk.

For more Wordless Wednesdays visit here

Oooooooh 3 posts in one day

2006-12-03T20:12:00.000Z

Well actually it's more because the picture was fiddled about with a lot and reposted a few times. I think it needs to be slightly wider.

Hope you like my new winter clothes. I kept the same template by finalsense but changed the photo to one of my own. I'm so proud of myself as this is the first time I've attempted anything like this.

Testing image to see if it'll fit

2006-12-03T12:22:00.000Z

2006-12-01T11:57:00.000Z

Appetizer
Have you ever flown in a helicopter?
Yes. I was only 3 or 4 so can't remember much but can remember seeing the world from high up, and loving it. I can also remember my Mum freaking out about me being so near the window, she has vertigo and heights make her weird.

We were on holiday and went out over the sea.

Soup
What color is your warmest coat or jacket?
I have a long red wool coat with a black collar and cuffs. I also have a brown leather, sheepskin lined "bomber" jacket. Like the type Biggles would wear. Does that translate across the Atlantic?

Salad
What is your favorite rainy day activity?
Loads of things.
Scrapbooking
Blogging
Forums - Craft Kingdom and UKS
Watching films
Playing PC games
Giving myself a manicure

Rainy days I'll stay inside if possible.

Main Course
Describe your hands.
One is on the end of my right arm, the other is on the end of my left arm!

Right now they need some moisturiser on and are really dry. My nails are short because the grow so long and then break.

I have a scar between the thumb and finger of my left hand. This is from where I was holding an apple and used a sharp knife to cut it. I needed to have stitches! Just like to warn everyone, never hold an apple while cutting it with a sharp knife! I also have trigger finger in the middle finger (that's where the finger locks bent, doesn't really hurt but is annoying).

My right hand is a mess. I had an accident with my horse and my hand got very broken. I nearly lost 3 fingers. Now they are bent and I can't make a proper fist. I have scars on my little finger and ring finger.

Also I can write with either hand. Left is not so neat as the right. I have always had this talent and it came in useful when my right hand was in plaster for 6 months. I should practice more with my left hand because at one time it was a lot neater.

Dessert
If you could eat only one nut for the rest of your life, what nut
would you pick?

Only one isn't fair. I love nuts. Brazil nuts are good for colesteral levels and almonds are supposed to be good for fat burning.

I love sugar coated nuts of most types. I could live without pistachios.

If I had to pick just one it would be almond for it's fat burning properties and because you can buy almond croissants and I like marzipan.

Join the feast here

Thursday 13 for the end of November

2006-11-30T19:30:00.000Z

Thirteen Names my horse gets called

1 Kon-Tiki Captain (when he's being posh)

2 Thor (his day name)

3 Black Beastie

4 Mud Monster

5 Crazy

6 Witko (Lakota for Crazy as in T‘ašunka Witko - Crazy Horse the Native American leader)

7 Insane

8 Dangerous (by my sister - who lets her son ride!)

9 Babe/Baby

10 Pookie

11 Scruffy

12 Toad

13 Ratbag

2006-11-28T17:26:00.000Z

With Jam on it!

2006-11-27T16:30:00.000Z

I've just recieved an email at work offering me the chance to go to the London Premiere of Will Smith's new movie! I have a great job - sometimes.

The catch is the ticket is £100, but it goes to The Prince's Trust charity.

Here's the blurb they emailed me.

The Prince’s Trust Pursuit of Happyness Premiere Hosted by Will Smith at The Curzon, Mayfair The evening event will start with pre-reception drinks and canapés at The Washington Mayfair Hotel followed by a red carpet arrival for the premiere of The Pursuit of Happyness at The Curzon, Mayfair.

Did you see RED CARPET in there? What about HOSTED BY WILL SMITH?

About the film

The film is based on the true story of Chris Gardner (Will Smith) who is a family man struggling to make ends meet. Despite his valiant attempts to help keep the family afloat, the mother (Thandie Newton) of his five-year-old son Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) is buckling under the constant strain of financial pressure. No longer able to cope, she reluctantly decides to leave. Gardner finds himself and his five-year-old son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships, including living in shelters, in pursuit of his dream of a better life for the two of them.

The UK release date of The Pursuit of Happyness is 12th January 2007. The premiere is 8th January.

The other option is a lunch at the Dorchester! That is a little more expensive and you don't gt to see the movie. But... it's lunch at the Dorchester with Will Smith and a bunch of celebs. Who will probably be kept far away from the likes of me!

Oh I just found the official movie website here

Weekend's nearly over.

2006-11-26T22:33:00.000Z

Sunday evening doesn't take long to come around does it. I am sure weekend days are shorter than week days.

We've had some weather here. Yes I'm English, talking about the weather gives it away. It rained a lot. We had floods. It makes the valley where Thor is kept lovely. He is above the flood line but his field gets a bit water logged as there is a pond and under ground stream as well as a spring.

I love the valley in flood. Especially when the sun is out after and the water is reflecting the sky. It's a beautiful shade of blue and the fields are a rich green. Even at this time of year.

Otherwise it's been a quiet weekend. I was going to do some cybercropping on UKScrappers. But my PC was being a total pain in the butt. I didn't want to read the discs with all my digi stash. I did get one paper layout done. That was a cheat, as it was mostly done, just needed some finishing off. But it fitted one of the classes and I did it in CC time so I counted it. I also came unstuck trying to have too many windows open at the same time.

Craft Kingdom is also doing some cyberclasses. One a week in the run up to Christmas. Mandy is doing these and they are great so if you are interested in anything crafty, with a scrapbooking slant, these are for you.

My new PC will be here soon and it's bigger and better than the one I have, it's nearly 6 years old so has done brilliantly but it needs to retire.

Friday Feast

2006-11-24T14:56:00.001Z

Appetizer
Have you ever changed a flat tire by yourself?

Yep, it's easy. Left is loose - Right is tight. Remember that and you can undo your wheel. Well in the UK that is.

Soup
Do you have an "innie" or an "outie" belly button?

Innie and it's full of fluff :D

Salad
Name a new paint color and describe it.

It's not new, it's the colour in my bedroom. It's called white chocolate and it looks exactly the colour of a bar of white chocolate.

Main Course
What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Christmas Morning - Going to the farm early in the morning to spend some time with Thor. And if the weather isn't too bad having a ride all decked out in tinsel.

Church does a Carols by candlelight service the nearest Sunday before Christmas and I love going to that, even if it is freezing in there.

Dessert
If you were a cookie, what kind of cookie would you be, and why?

I'd be a chocolate chip and nut cookie. Why? Because that's what I am and I can't change it. Even if I wanted to.

If you're feeling hungry you can join the feast here

Thursday 13 on the 23rd

2006-11-23T18:55:00.000Z

Thirteen Colours I LIKE
No particular order. Just the colours as I thought of them

PURPLE
PINK
RED
BLUE
GREEN
INDIGO
YELLOW
ORANGE
GOLD
PEWTER
TEAL
TURQUOISE
MANENTA

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American Friends. This includes you if you are reading this.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well!View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wordless Wednesday

2006-11-21T17:17:00.000Z

Just another Tuesday

2006-11-21T16:41:00.000Z

Morning all. Spent a happy half hour in the hospital today. I don't need surgury on my knee now.

It's amazing that since the PCTs joined together to make one big one and the hospital is not getting the money owed I've had two ops cancelled. 4 months ago looked like they were desparate necessities and now they aren't. Don't know if I sould worry or not.

Anyway I have to go to physio instead. Yep I'm sure that excercising a knee that is so painful that after 10 steps I'm in agony is a brillaint idea. The surgeon was also talking about steroid injections into it.

PC is all ordered and I did a thing where I work out my income and expenses, I should at the end of the month if I don't do anything other than pay things like rent and loans/credit cards come out with the grand total of £17. Hmmmm not a lot really. I am thinking that next year I'll go along to the bank and talk nicely, see if I can't get a loan at a lower rate. Stick the credit cards on it and hope for the best. Either that or sell my body. Not that anyone would want to buy it.

Off to college tonight, very exciting, lets learn how to dismantle a PC and see if it works when we rebuild it. There is one guy who just has to turn up and his PC commits suicide. Seriously every week something goes wrong with the machine he touches. He seems to have ADHD or something as well. Including me there are only 4 people who should be in that class. The rest don't have a scoobie. Tonight is the first night of the new module and we have some more geeks joining us. Will have to update tomorrow.

Wordless Wednesday

2006-11-15T13:50:00.000Z

Back after a 2 week break I thought I'd share this with you. (had I been at home you would have had a diffferent photo, but of the same horse).

Desert Orchid, one of England's favourite racehorses who died this week, aged 27 after a long and happy retirement.

You can find out more about the "Flying Grey" at his fan club website HERE This is where I found the pic.

Friday Feast

2006-10-27T09:31:00.000+01:00

Not done one of these in a long time so thought I'd join in this week.

Appetizer
Create a new candle scent

I love scented candles. I have a melon one that I keep in a draw to make the draw smell nice! And I have a chocolate and hazelnut one in the lounge that I burn to give a great chocolatey smell. It does make me hungry though.

If I could invent a candle I'd have one that smelt of spring! Fresh mown grass and spring rain. The kind of smell that makes me feel happy.

Soup
Name one way you show affection to others

I'm British we don't do that!!

Salad
What is your favourite writing instrument

I like pens with a chunky barrel and not to fine a ball. I also like to write with a dip pen. Writing with proper ink and a dip pen makes me concentrate and my writing becomes a lot neater. I can do calligraphy and have the specialist pens for this.

Main Course
If you were given $25 to spend anywhere online from which site would you buy?

This is tougher than it first looks. My first reaction is "depends on what I want" For things like books and DVDs and CDs I use Amazon a lot. For craft and scrapbooking supplies? I don't have a favourite and would have to have an online browse but some great UK sites include Happy Scrapper and Artbase.

Dessert
Are you dressing up for Halloween? If so, what are you going to be?

Again, I'm British, we don't do that! It's not as big a thing here as in the USA. Also as a Christian I wouldn't celebrate Halloween.

The Friday Feast can be found here

Thursday Thirteen

2006-10-26T09:29:00.000+01:00

Thirteen Things about My Glovebox

Thought it might be interesting to share the contents of my car's glovebox. Can't promise it'll be pretty! :D

1 A pen
2 A Notebook
3 Set of keys for my horsebox (truck if you're in the USA)
4 Noddy doll
5 Tigger McDonalds toy
6 Ally McBeal soundtrack cassette tape
7 Sacred Spirit Native American songs cassette tape
8 Sweet wrappers
9 Small Can WD40
10 Car's manual and service book
11 A few copper coins ammounting to less than 10p
12 Breakdown Service membership card
13 a fluffy"Thing 1" from Cat in the Hat pen topper

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Fill in the Mr Linky and please leave a comment. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2006-10-24T18:11:00.000+01:00

Following on from last week's tigers. Here's a couple of wolves. I hope you like the picks. I love to scrapbook and am working on my wolf album. I got three layouts done in the past 2 days. If you want to see somemore of my wolf photos then click on the flickr link in the side bar.

This is me with the wolves, Odin and Ishka. But it wasn't me feeding the tigers. I wish it had been; but the scantuary's insurance company don't like that idea!

I guess I should tell you about the scantuary. It's called Shepreth Wildlife Park and is a sort of zoo but it takes in wildlife that for whatever reason can't be kept in other zoos. The tigers are uinable to be bred as they are not pure and Amba was hand reared. The wolves are brother and sister and were smuggled in to this country as German Shepherd Dogs for use in the film industry, they were picked up at customs by the RSPCA.

For more wordless wednesdays pop over to THE OTHER SIDE OF DUBS

Wordless Wednesday - Tiger Tea Time

2006-10-18T11:45:00.000+01:00

RANA and AMBA having their dinner. Amba is standing under Rana's name plate.

find more wordless wednesdays here

one day in history

2006-10-17T12:51:00.000+01:00

History Matters is wanting as many people to join in with it's blog as possible. I just blogged. Go and join in. If you want to know what my entry was I copied it below for you. You have until the 1st November to do your blurb.

Here's the linky thing

Yea for Tuesday! It means Monday is out of the way and there are only four more days until the weekend :)
Today is being especially boring. I was supposed to be on a Fire Risk Assessment training course because of the new regulations that came in place at the beginning of the month. There weren't enough delegates so the course was cancelled. I am booked in on the next course at the end of November.
I should really tell you about my job. I work for a volunteer bureau. This is like a job centre for volunteers. The main part of my job is to have a chat with people about volunteering and find them something suitable to do. I enjoy this because I love to chat to people. I hate the paperwork which goes with it. Paperwork is needed because we are funded by the local county and town councils and they want stats.
What else about me? Well I live in a town with a bad reputation but it really doesn't deserve it. I think it is no worse than anywhere else. The centre is being remodelled which is needed. There is currently a campaign to get people in London to move here. Locals think this is very funny because the main selling point is that it is only an hour by train. The town doesn't have a train station :D It's a 20 min car or bus ride to the nearest train. Also there are no amenities such as a shopping centre (being remodelled), night life, cinema or resturant. The general things that people,espcially from London, take for granted.
There is a castle. I pass this four times everyday. I have a horse, who lives in a field 6 miles from my house. The castle is on my route to look after him.
So back to work. Today is being taken up with making sure I have all my paperwork sorted and up to date. Tonight I have to attend college. I am studying IT. How computers work, rather than how to use applications and software. I did a course 20years ago straight out of school but technology has changed so much.
I have a blog, which is the height of fashion, so I will update it. I think that today I will copy this into my blog to promote this project.
The reason I am doing the "one day in history" is because I am tracing my family tree and love things like social history. It's great getting names and dates but to know how people lived in a certain era is interesting to me.

2006-10-15T00:27:00.000+01:00

Feeling blurgh. Think it must still be the after effects of Kay's hex . Sore throat and swollen glands, feeling a bit fluey and drained. Spend a huge chunk of today in bed.

Work has been super busy this week and next week looks to be not a lot better. I've hardly been able to get on to my favoutite forums that much either. You know where I mean by now. Craft Kingdom and UKScrappers

It's interview time. My boss left and I;ve had a temp boss who has to go through the interview process. She is in a shortlist of 2. The other one is only in the shortlist because it would have then been a shortlist of one. Only 3 people applied for the role. I would have but I am still lacking in some areas.

I think that the person who has been acting boss will get the job. Not sure if she wants it though. There are a lot of management issues that if she isn't allowed to control she will not take the job. I think I'll be able to talk her into it as she only wants to do it for a year and that will give her time to train me up and then I can apply for it next year. That's assuming that I don't take offence at being passed over for promotion if/when she goes.

I really want her to take the job as she has more hands on experience than the old boss who was very good at deligating to me. It turns out that I have been doing a lot of stuff that I shouldn't have. Such as the stats and returns for funders.

Also I am on about £3k less than some other people who are in a similar role but with less to do. Mainly the other people in my type of job just do the interviewing and refering of volunteers. I do a whole lot of governance and funding advice as well.

Potential new boss is causing waves by saying that I should be entitled to a pay rise. Gotta love that

Thursday 13 Doggy Day

2006-10-12T12:46:00.000+01:00

Thirteen Things about My Dog

1. He is a rescue dog. From Dog's Trust

2. He was called Shep but I renamed him King Camembert Cheesy Feet

3. He smells like popcorn!

4. He is very good with children

5. He "thinks out loud" a lot :)

6. He will stand behind the gate to bark even if it's open

7. He never barks on the street

8. He is a registered PAT dog, but is retired now. We used to visit a hospice

9. He has won obedience competitions. And is Kennel Club gold standard but we've only taken the test up to silver

10. He has also done agility

11. He is disabled. One of his back legs is deformed and he can't bend it. He also has a false cruciate ligament in the other back leg

12. He loves to cuddle

13. He is afraid of sheep. He has even been chased across the field by tiny lambs.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Yesterday's photo

2006-10-12T12:42:00.000+01:00

Thanks for all the great comments. I took the pic myself using good a old fashioned film SLR camera!

The owl is from a scantuary and was at a country fair to promote the work. We did get to hold him. He is called Bobo

Wordless Wednesday

2006-10-11T11:23:00.000+01:00

Bobo the Tawny Owl

find more wordless wednesday participents over at the other side of Dubs.

Please vote for me :)

2006-10-09T09:42:00.000+01:00

Please please vote for me at BLOG VILLAGE I'm being an excited big kid because I'm at number 2. Only 7 votes behind number 1.

My team on UKS are hosting the weekly challenge - go and check it out and make lots of lovely layouts for us. It's the first time we've ever done this. Again big kid excitement. The challenge thread is here.

I thought weekends were for relaxing!

2006-10-08T22:44:00.000+01:00

But it seems I was wrong!

It started to go wrong on Friday. My PC keyboard died and I had to order another. Wonderful DHL were supposed to deliver it but I ended up having to collect instead! Glad that I did as those goons had been throwing my parcel about and the keyboard was broken! It not far from DHL to PCWorld so I went to complain. They gave me a keyboard straight off the shelf. I have no idea why they just couldn't have done that in the first place.

Saturday - was it really only yesterday? I went to a craft workshop making Christmas cards with Fantasy Fibre and Film. This stuff is great and really lends itself to Christmas. If you've seen Jane use it on Create and Craft, yes you can make more than butterflies and dragonflies. BTW the place where I go to learn is where Jane works.

After that I went shopping because my brother the gannet came to visit. I am amazed at how much one person can eat.

He brought his wife, 4 year old son and his 21 year old stepson. They live in the lake district. My neice who is his 21 year old daughter also came with her baby son. They only live down the road. Her other half didn't come because he's just joined a band and was at a rehersal today.

I managed to squeeze in a visit to the local village craft fair as well this morning. Not a lot of anything exciting. A couple of jewellery stalls. One with things made from glass; another with pottery and one with bird and bat boxes. The usual village cake stall and the rest seemed to be card making stalls, selling their own cards and fixings for cards for you to make.

Oh my brother has broken his wrist. Made him grumpier than usual! He fell downstairs sleep walking.

Anyway I am now so tired it's crazy. I did doze on the sofa after they left but I am now off to bed as soon as I finish typing this up.

Craft Kingdom is having a challenge - you have to make 10 Christmas Cards in 10 days. No prizes that I'm aware of but just a push for those of us who need it. Come along and join in the fun.

Pic is of my niece's baby, because I think he is a cutie.

Thursday 13 Randomness

2006-10-05T09:53:00.000+01:00

Random Questions/Thoughts.

1. If you are what you eat am I a chocolate covered nut or a sweetie?

2. Is the purple people eater a purple monster that eats people or a monster that eats purple people?

3. What was the best thing before sliced bread?

4. Does noise happen if there is no-one there to hear it?

5. How many women does it take to change a lightbulb?

6. Will the lightbulb get changed many times before the woman is happy?

7. Why do you always get an odd sock out of the washing machine when an even number went in?

8. What is normal?

9. We should do more to save the planet; it's the only one with chocolate!

10. Why whenever you have a problem does the person you are talking to always have a bigger problem?

11. If you can teach a dog more tricks than you can teach a cat which is the more intelligent?

12. Why do people always moan about the weather?

13. I love Thursdays.

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Wordless Wednesday

2006-10-04T09:52:00.000+01:00

Picture of two Amish girls in traditional dress in Lancaster County, PA taken by TheCadExpert in 2004
More about the Amish can be read here

Wordless Wednesday Blogroll can be found here

Thursday 13

2006-09-28T12:00:00.000+01:00

Thirteen Things about CELFYDDYDAU
In no particular order here's 13 films I like.

1. The Devine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood
2. Chocolat
3. Beaches
4. While you Were Sleeping
5. Pirates of the Carribean ( both)
6. 28 Days
7. Miss Congeniality (both but the first is better)
8. Legally Blonde (both)
9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
10. Lord of the Rings (Triology)
11. Darby O'Gill and the Little People
12. Hans Christian Anderson (Danny Kay 1952)
13. Sound of Music

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Wordless Wednesday

2006-09-27T11:01:00.000+01:00

It's a girl

Baby pandas can be found at
Atlanta Zoo
National Zoo Washington
San Deigo Zoo
Wolong

UKScrappers blog promt

2006-09-24T19:53:00.002+01:00

So many of us rush through our days - Not letting the little things that usually mean so much to us get a look in, we fill our time doing things for other people, and putting so many people before us. If you could spend a day, doing everything for yourself, with no indulgence spared - what would you do.... 24 solid selfcentred beautiful hours!

Ooooh this is hard. Mainly because I just don't have to think about anyone else. Anytime off work would be great. So this is a totally fantasy day because I have ME/CFS and therefore low energy levels, also I'm not the richest person in the world. So in this dream I have endless energy and dosh!

I could start by having a huge crop for all my scrappy friends everywhere. All the stash we could possibly want all free. And we would all know exactly what we wanted to scrap; there would be no time wasted sorting; no scrapblocks; and loads of calorie free cake and effect free booze.

If it was just for me. I'd start with a good facial and hair doo at a top class, takes years to get in if your on the A list, spa. Probably a massage as well. Followed by all my favourite eatables. Afternoon would consist of seeing a show, all my favourite actors, private viewing, with a select few of course. No idea which show though. It might just have to be a made up one. :D After that I'd have a boat trip on a glassy moonlit sea. Considering this 24 hours is a one that I don't have to sleep in. I would have to include some of my favourite things, like photography and art, a flight to a foreign city like Paris to indulge in these and some shopping.

UKScrappers blog promt

2006-09-24T19:53:00.001+01:00

Time out to wander

2006-09-23T20:42:00.000+01:00

Today was a lovely day and I think the last day of summer. I took time out to go for a trip to Stratford. Just to wander about and have some stress free time. It was beautiful weather and as always Stratford was packed with tourists. I am so glad it only takes an hour to get there and I can go whenever I like

Two of these photos are of Harvard House. It's the ancesteral home of the founder of Harvard University USA.

I also went to the craft shop. Would you beleive it's actually my closest "proper" craft shop? We do have a hobbycraft but that only sells limited scrapbooking stuff. So yes I had to buy. I got some BG monograms in Baby girl and Urban Couture and some Urban Couture ribbons. I was very good and restrained. :D I did hope that they would have some of the new lines in but they don't.

Fab Friends

2006-09-22T11:53:00.000+01:00

UKScrapper's blog prompt for today is all about friends so I decided to tribute Mandy C.

5 reasons why Mandy is a great friend.

1. She is a great mum to her 3 kids
2. She and hubby Paul are a brilliant couple
3. Even though she has health problems she smiles through it all
4. She saved Craft Kingdom from falling of the face of the internet. It's my favourite place to be.
5. Dispite her busy life and already mentioned health probems she has the guts to be starting up her own business.

Wordless Wednesday

2006-09-20T13:29:00.000+01:00

flowered
Originally uploaded by oturns.