People Watching in the Park

Sun shining on the water, children playing ball; splash!! The ball lands in the middle of the pond. How to get it out they cry? Fetch a stick or better still a broom to make the ripples form -- gradually the ball drifts to the other side, but, its still out of reach; "use your shoe",-- just reaches we have it,-- hooray.

Daughter comes with elderly mother in a wheel chair, mother has had a stroke and finds it difficult to speak, "feed the duck" she says slowly with effort, straining to get the words out, bread is thrown, she smiles, and they go on their way.

The ducks have had their fill of bread for today and ignore it: --Plop!!, what was that? It’s coming from under the water -- fish jumping for the bread the ducks have left. Watch, see the ripples, as if someone had thrown a stone, watch again there and there.

Dragonflies flittering to and fro, jewels gleaming over the murky pond, sunlight catching their reflective wings and bodies.

How many people have notice this or cared? Too few I fear, too few. -- But I have seen and appreciated.

Someone see the chair beside me as I sit there watching life in the park, "is this chair taken" "no"; we start to talk, she is on her lunch break, just fruit and a cup of tea, fruit doesn’t attract the pigeons you see. She finishes and moves on. Someone else looking for a shady spot, "here take this chair it’s vacant now."

I move away to another part. Walking through a shady arbour taking photos as I go. Sunlight seen through the shade, framed there for all times in my picture.

I round a corner and there by the bigger stretch of water, someone has got out their paints and capturing the scene with colour and wash, peaceful while her child plays. I capture the scene too with my camera and move away not to disturb her.

I am pleased with my afternoon in the park, photos and thoughts and words down on paper now. Sometime I will use this and perhaps, just perhaps someone else will appreciate it and see the beauty.

My Grandson's album

I'm chuffed to bits with the album I am doing for my very new grandson, I have just done the front cover and am so pleased with it that I just had to come in here and write it all down.
It's to go on a bought album this time but I think the next one I do of him I will make my own.
This album is all the photos I and his daddy took in the first two weeks of his life. (unless my son in law sends me some more recent ones).

INDULGING MYSELF

I am endulging myself today, yesterday I bought some Brioche rolls and thick Double cream, so for my tea I am having two of these rolls covered with homemade strawberry jam and cream. I also picked up this book today SOMEHOW THE TWO JUST DON'T GO TOGETHER, he! he! I don't care I am going to enjoy myself.

I had a great time at Scrapaholics on Monday and managed to do two layouts which is brilliant for me. I think sitting with Sandie is good for me. We chat and scrap together and I seem to be able to do better with her there.

This first one was using a small part of the July Kit. The photo is one that I found in my Mother in Law's bits and pieces after she had died, I know that the arrowed person is her but I have guessed as to the year, but as she would have left school at 13 I am assuming that she is 11 or 12. The title was one of the questions printed on the patterned paper which I then mounted on to card to give it extra bulk.

This next one was done for a challenge, we were invited to use neopolitan colours Chocolate Pink & Vanila, a large photo, circles and sparkly bits. I took the photo that morning and it seemed the best one to use, I really enjoyed making these pages especially altering the photo of me & my cat to blur out the background so that it didn't distract from the main subject.

Another Day Another Page

Well it is Sunday and for once the sun has shone, most of the water seems to have cleared away but I know that several homes were affected and are probably still feeling the after effect.

I have been working on another page for my Grandson's album, but am finding it hard to get motivated.

My neighbours' new adventure makes me laugh; they have bought a carriage that attaches to a bicycle for their dog. What fun especially if Merlie decides she has had enough.

I think Andrea in the carriage is a better idea though I think Tony had trouble in streering with her weight in it.

Here is a layout using Pencil Line Sketch 42 and the photo of Merlie in her carriage

Pencil Line Sketches

I love the Pencil Line Sketches they are such a source of inspiration, when ever I am stuck for an idea there is usually one or other of the sketches that spark something off.

Here is my interpretation of sketch 41 I have wanted to do a layout showing the contrast between purple and white flowers for some time and took the photos ages ago including the slate shale I have used for a background paper

Well the Sun is trying to shine and I have been stuck indoors since coming home on Thursday night, think I will venture out. The weather was so bad yesterday with torrential rain and flooding. Some roads are still blocked and a lot of people had to spend the night in their cars.

Back Home

I am back home at last and can bring my blog up to date.

When I went to stay with my Daughter and Son-in-law I knew that I would be there for the birth of my first grandson, and I was; it was an experience I am so so glad I had as this was the first birth I had witnessed.

Daniel John came into the world at 22.17 on Monday July 2nd after quite a short labour.
I held him when he was only a few minutes old and that was such an exciting thing to do. Of course the camera has not stopped clicking since then and I hope that my Son-in-Law will send me lots as he grows

I am so glad I took my laptop with me as I was able to do lots and lots of layouts of Daniel this one shows just how like his mother he is, the little photo on the right is my daughter at 10 days old unfortunately my son-in-law does not have a photo of himself very young the earliest is 2 years so will have to wait to compare Daniel to Andy. But he does have the Dimple as his father and grandfather have.