Sunday, 9 September 2012

More of the same

September 09, 2012 0 Comments
Again, where does the time go? It doesn't seem five minutes since my last blog and now summer is nearly over. The house martins are having a final flurry over the house and it won't be long until they are off for warmer climates and it doesn't really feel as if we have had our summer yet.

MP and I did manage to get a week off together and after doing some jobs at home and some chilling we took ourself off for a nice day out at Chester Zoo. Even getting there just after it opened it was packed, well I guess it was school holidays and one of the few nice days we had. We had a great time and took loads of photographs.

I love bats. It was hard trying to get photos of them with no flash, so pleased with this



























Can't go to the zoo and not see the elephants.














And how cute is he? Unusual to see one awake.

As usual most of our time is taken up with Sam. When he stays with my Dad he spends all of his day out in the garden, as we don't have a garden we tend to take him out for walks instead. We joined the National Trust last year to go to Formby Point but haven't been there this year so determined not to let the membership go to waste looked for nearer places to go. Turns out we have a fantastic place on our doorstep, Hardcastle Crags.

Someone from work told me about it but advised it isn't good to go there in bad weather as the riverside path gets quite treacherous but after a few dry days we decided to give it a go and what a joy it was. Sam being a water baby loved all the spots along the river where he could go in for a paddle and in some cases a swim and the lovely tree lined sheltered path led up to an old mill and a fantastic coffee shop with home made cakes.














Sam having his customary paddle




















See what they mean about the path














Gibson Mill (toilets and coffee shop)

So pleased we have found this and we have already been back for another walk there. Only down side is that we like to go walking early and the coffee shop doesn't open until 11am but Hebden Bridge is just below Hardcastle Crags and there are plenty of nice coffee shops there.

I haven't done much scrapping but then I haven't posted the ones I have done previously, as promised. So here is what I have done .........
















Another page from the altered art CJ I have been doing, this one was self portrait

















A Steampunk Alice entry



Two attempts at Shimelle's And now for something completely different over on UKS




















My boys (who don't get on at all) having a very rare moment



Another for my Childhood memories album

Just need to do the journalling on this one. When I moved down south to be with MP after we got married I had an awful panic about a parakeet I had seen in a tree and how it must have escaped from it's home. Turns out they are everywhere around London and the home counties but I never tired of seeing them. 

No-one is sure how there got to be so many or where they originally came from. Some people think they escaped from a zoo or a home and bred but another story is that some parakeets escaped from Isleworth Studios when they were filming The African Queen. This is my favourite.

Well, enough for now. Be back soon to tell you all about another great day out we had and all about the She Art class by Christy Tomlinson I am doing. Till then

Sunday, 22 July 2012

What a washout

July 22, 2012 1 Comments
Well, it's been a horrible couple of months, lots of very wet walks with Sam and some severe flooding up here. We have been lucky, living on the top of a hill has its bonuses, the worst that has happened to us is the road to our house has been badly damaged, nothing a 4x4 won't cure. The houses in the bottom of the valley haven't been so lucky though and we even made the national news oh and had a visit from Prince Charles.




I did stick my head out of the window and take a couple of photos but that was as far as I got.


So what have I been up to? 


I went to see the fabulous Blink 182 at Manchester Evening News Arena a few weeks back and had a great time. I have been a fan for years and they were on my bucket list of bands to see live but I didn't think I was going to as they split up for a few years. Once I heard they were getting back together and doing a tour, I was straight on the hotline for tickets. This concert was originally for July 2011 but they had to cancel so re arranged for this year and it was so worth the wait.



I didn't manage to get any good photos so you'll have to make do with this one.

The Jubilee went by in a flash, I did watch the flotilla event on TV whilst ironing and was very grateful for the extra days holiday but apart from that didn't really get too excited about it. Oh I did watch the concert as well, the highlight being Ed Sheeran, just love this lads voice. Not quite sure why Stevie Wonder was the closing act though ....... when did he become British?

Went with my Dad to see the Olympic Torch pass through Oswaldtwistle. Was really surprised to see how many people turned out to watch and very nearly missed it when I decided to take Sam back to the car. Luckily it was the precession warming up the crowd. The funniest thing of all was the Metropolitan Police escort really getting into the spirit with the motorbike cops high fiving the crowds as they drove past. The girl carrying the torch shot past us at such a speed I only just managed to get a photo. Well it had to be done. I'm not going to see this again in my lifetime.



Don't know who the girl is but good on her.

MP, Sam and I have also managed a couple of trips to the beach. We like to go to the top end of Blackpool, near the airport, and walk up to St Annes. Sam loves the beach and MP the ice cream from the pier before the walk back.


Sam having a rest and looking longingly at MP's ice cream.

On our recent trip to St Annes, we stopped off at Lytham to see 'the bubbles'. I'd read about them on the local news and decided to go and have a look. I have to say I wasn't hugely impressed, what do you think?



So that's about all i've been up to. Have done some scrapping but haven't uploaded the photos, so i'll pop back later this week when MP is working and put them on.

Just in case he reads this and I don't know if he does read my blog. I want to wish MP a very Happy Anniversary for Tuesday xx On this fateful date, 13 years ago MP lost his bachelor status and inherited a family (me and Murphy). So Happy Anniversary babes, we made another year xxx


Saturday, 5 May 2012

Monday, 30 April 2012

Having fun

April 30, 2012 2 Comments
Well, I've nearly managed to find new homes for all the World Book Night books, just another couple earmarked for people and looking forward to reading it myself. Our Medical Director said it's one of the best books he has ever read, now that's high praise indeed.


On a scrapping front, having scanned loads of old photo's in whilst visiting my Dad, I've started to scrap them for my album of me and I have to be honest I am loving it. As we scanned them in, Dad told me stories and info on each photo which will make the journalling a lot more meaningful and personal. It's given me a real buzz.

So here is the first LO I've done. I was going to enter if for Shimelle's weekend challenge but it took me too long to do. I struggled as I don't really do pink, but here it is anyway ........





What a porker


The second photo is another from my formative years and my entry for this months The Studio Challenge, which is to scrap a song title.



And finally, over on UK Scrappers the April 'and now for something completely different' was a great lay out using a very large photograph. Here's my entry (just need to add the journaling).


So that's it for tonight, off to watch a bit of television whilst the electric blanket warms up. Well. it's freezing up here.