Just a little ah moment

Things that tickle my sense of humour

While walking through town I keep my eyes peeled for things that amuse and send my thought off in funny direction. I saw this sign and

could immediately see how useful this would be especially in this financial clime and coming up to Christmas
mind you the queue would be miles and miles long

this one is for all cat lovers everywhere

In reflective mood

He would have been sixty eight this year,

I am sixty nine.

We would still be so in love,

Though far more inclined

to sit in different rooms,

to do our separate things,

but knowing we are together

under one roof.

We would still hold hands

as we watch a sloppy film,

munching too many chocolates,

and kiss before we sleep.

If he was still alive.

When we go out together

he would need his stick,

still troubled by his hip,

but we would still shop.

he would still say yes,

that looks good on you,

buy it and this one too.

and we would have some lunch

in the café on the corner.

Then we would go home

and I'd cook some tea

for John and me.

If he was still alive

Breakfast with Mary

What could be more delicious than crumpets on my plate

A little pile of Mushrooms

And a pot of Marmalade with Scrumpy

Meow Meow Meow

Mum your scrapping the plate

 you must be nearly finished

come on put it down for me to lick around

please leave me something

your food tastes better than mine.

and so on and so on until I finish my dinner and plonk the tray on the floor, at which point Sammy gives a lick and then walks away, unless it is something she really likes, then the plate is spotless when she has finished with it. Good job I have a dishwasher. (I mean a real one, not Sammy)

Then it's Rudi's turn to start on me. He never licks the plate, no he either sits and stares at me or puts his paws out to tell me "Look mum you have eaten we haven't not for years and years and we are starving"

 

Oh well better go and feed them then.

People Watching

Do you love people watching? I do and get so much enjoyment from it. It amazes me the different thing people do. For instance I saw someone using a mirror in a shop window to tidy up her hair, out came the comb and a quick flick made her feel so much happier with her appearance.
I wonder how often I have done something of a similar nature that has amused or brightened someone's day. I do hope I have.

I don't often have the courage to take a photo of the quirky things people do, it might offend, but when it is a back view, therefore probably unidentifiable maybe just a quick click of the camera lens will be OK. That was the case with this photo.
I was following this person down the road when I noticed her very unusual hair adornment, so putting my camera on zoom, click, captured on disc for future reference.
I haven't as yet done a layout using it but maybe today is the day to do so.

It is certainly the day to write about it in prose, because I have an assignment for a poetry workshop to complete. I have to select an image of something that really interests me and write, in prose, about it. To imagine what happened immediately before or after the photo was taken.

Thank goodness for computers I am hopeless when it comes to paper and pencil work as I never am satisfied with the first draft I would be accused of causing the collapse of the rain forest with the amount of paper I would get through. After much writing and re-writing and re-re-writing here is my, I think, final draft.

A pen in her hair

Why did she wear
a pen in her hair?
To keep it tidy,
Or because it was handy?
I wonder what it means,
do I dare to ask her?
Would it offend her
If I made a comment?

“ I keep it right there
In the thick of my hair
There’s no need to search
And its easy to reach,
On top of my band
It’s always to hand,
And that is the reason
For the pen in my hair”

Oh yes for me people watching is such a great hobby and I know it is one that so many people share

Decembers Past layout

Here is the layout I have done for my asperations for my 70th birthday. I loved Nancy's page so much I have scraplifted it. Thank you Nancy for this lovely idea

My Big Birthday Plans

Today Shimelle is encouraging us to think ahead and that gave me an idea.
I was born in Dec 1940 so next year will be .............................................................................................

wait for it

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

a big ZERO year

and my dream/wish/hope will be to spend it in a very special way with my immediate family. My darling Daughter, my Super Son-in-Law, my wonderful Son, my delightful Daughter-in-Law and of course my, by then, 3 super duper Grandsons.
I have a whole year to plan it and save for what ever we decide to do.
I have already began by emailing them all  to see what ideas they can come up with.(well the adults that is, not the grandchildren as they are far to young, though I think Daniel may have his own ideas knowing how much a chatterbox he is).
My initial thoughts are The Lakes, but it may be toooooooooooo cold at that time of the year, my second though is Edinburgh, a really lovely place to be with Christmas just around the corner, I know the city will be in festive mode

these photo's were taken back in 2002 when my daughter and son-in-law lived in Edinburgh

Sunday Sunday

It is Sunday, a day of rest? well it is supposed to be, but I woke at 6.55 needing the loo.(hope that is not too much info). Too late to go back to sleep so I got up and made a cuppa and switch on my laptop. I went first to UKScrapper then to the blog train for yesterday on Shimelle's Blogging for Scrapbookers class. This has become my normal practice first thing of a morning.
As usual Sammy, my she cat, jumps onto my lap and pushes my hands so that it becomes difficult to write until I stroke her and she can settles down.

One of the things that Shimelle encouraged us to do, and I didn't do it on the day, is to list our favourite things. I have just read Rachels list and thought perhaps this morning is the time to do mine. So here it is

First and foremost, of course, are my Grandsons, Daniel aged 2yrs 4months, who I don't see all that often unfortunately because he lives with his mum and dad a 5 hour train journey away from me. So when I do go up I have to get as many photos as I can to tide me over till the next time.
Then there is my Grandson No.2 just 2 months old and a little darling and living only 5 minutes away so I can see him often, but I have to try and restrict how often as I don't want to be a dreaded mother-in-law.

Favourite thing No.2 is Scrapping, especially digital scrapping, which is how I started on the hobby. I have been scrapping now for 5 plus years

No.3 is chatting on UKScrappers and now here as well as I am learning to use my blog more and more.

No.4 Chocolate, though I shouldn't because I want to keep my weight, that I have fought hard to loose, at a sensible level. But who can resist a bar of chocolate or better still a box of them.

No 5 I love to go shopping for clothes. I find something I like the look of, take it to the fitting room to try on, get out my camera and take photos of myself in them. Most of the time I will buy the item I snap but just occasionally I regrettably decided I really don't need it and put it back on the rail.

And one more thing I love, but I don't know where abouts on the list it should come, is Photographing everything I see that interests me, or catches my attention, is quirky or cute. I have my camera everywhere I go I pick it up as I pick up my handbag, I just don't leave the house without it.

An Ordinary Day

Late at night or very early in the morning

It is now nearly half passed midnight, I don't seem to be able to get off the computer today, but I did say I would have a 'me' day didn't I.
I have done a double layout with  all the photos I took in the lane today, sorry I couldn't do them without journalling just wouldn't work for me.

10 Minutes

I have just read on Kai's blog Enjoy the Ride Today that you should get at least 10 minutes sunshine a day. Well I am afraid there is not much hope of sunshine here but never-the-less I grabbed my camera and stuck my nose outside - drizzle - so going back indoors and grabbing my coat and putting on shoes - didn't want to get my slippers soaking now did I? - I went out again.

I am very lucky as my back gate opens out into a lane and there is always something to photograph.

I noticed that one of my neighbours had a passiflora still in flower and with fruit on. The fruit is obviously tasty to some animal or bird because there was only the outer shell left of it.

Just a bit further down the lane, as I was trying to capture on camera the sparrows who were twittering and flittering between the hedgerows, I saw this little fellow eyeing me and posing as if to say I am much better camera fodder than those noisy pesky birds. Well who could refuse to take his portrait? certainly not me.

Isn't it marvellous how plants move, now you would think that rooted in one spot that they didn't and couldn't move, but they most certainly do.In the garden of my previous property I had raspberries - I hadn't planted them, and neither had the owner before me - no they had wandered into my garden from next door.
Today in the lane I found a bamboo shoot standing about 6ft tall, it had not only come out of the garden the other side of the fence but must have pole vaulted using itself as the pole

A 'Me' Day

Good morning friends I hope you are having a good day, me yes I am having a 'ME' day today, felt I needed it after what happened to me yesterday as I do ache a bit. 

I'm not even dressed yet as you can see

  But I haven't been idle I've been digital scrapping again and used the photos from yesterday to good advantage Thanks to Shimelle's Scrap like you mean it challenge on UKScrappers which this week was to remember remember

So here it is my version of Remember Remember using the word Art that Shimelle gave us

Oh dear oh deary dear

Oh dear oh deary dear!!, I decided, this morning when up at the church for the weekly sale, to find out at very close quarters what the ground outside looked like. I tripped on the doorstep at church at 9.00 O'clock this morning; no I wasn't drunk, not that early, and I fell flat on my nose and chin. Which landed me up in a pool of blood, only a nose bleed, thankfully, I don't seem to have broken anything but I now have a very swollen nose and could well be taken for a proboscis monkey except the nose is fat not flat. Gradually as the day has progressed the bruising has come out and I do feel very heavy around the nasal area.
Being a scrapbooker I couldn't let this event go by without photos now could ? I am sure that there will be a page dedicated to my bruising and fat nose sometime soon

can you see the similarity?

Who's work do I follow

Who's work do I follow with avid expectation?

Who gives me inspiration

Who brightens up my day.

Where I go and wander in my exploration?

To find that composition

That will pave the way

To finishing my pages with that satisfaction

That pleases my reflection

Upon my work today

Well where do I go, who's work do I admire and want to emulate? I do love the things that Ruth aka Altered Geisha produces they are so special and really stand out from the norm. She has the knack of taking something and making it a piece or art that I would love to be able to do. I think I would so enjoy seeing her at work putting together her layouts and I for one would love to see them all in an exhibition framed in 3D frames and hung on a wall. 
I also get a lot of inspiration from sketches and Pencil Line is my all time favourite site for this. I have been downloading their sketches for three years now since the beginning and have used them a great deal.
Just recently I have discovered another sketch site that seem very promising Twisted Sketches. They bring out a sketch by Anam Stubbington each week but put a twist to it by adding something that has to be used i.e. chipboard, or monochrome, etc.

Yada Yada

I have been introduced to a really good series of books, well I  think it is anyway.
The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson, its about a group of Ladies at a Christian conference who are put into the same pray group for the duration of the event. They have nothing in common one being an ex con another a former drug addict, a head teacher, a mother of two, and others all from different cultures and different ethnic backgrounds.
They are drawn together into a much tighter bond by the sudden telephone call one of them gets that her 14 year old son has been shot. They decide to continue together praying for each other after the conference and they gradually become a powerful prayer vessel
The first book is the only one I have read so far. But it is the first book I have read for quite a while that I have found difficulty in putting down.
I look forward to reading more

This photo was taken last year so it isn't the Yada Yada book but my bible I am reading

A wet and windy night

We had a very wet and windy night last night, but when I awoke properly at 8 the sun was shining, but I am afraid it didn't last long before the rain was back.
Still I felt like going into town and mooching a bit, so with camera slung over my shoulder as usual I travel into town.
The wind had certainly stripped most of the leaves from the trees which encourage me to write a poem in my head as I was walking along.
Reaching Starbucks and ordering my Extra Shot Mocha and Cinnamon Swirl I sat at the low table on a comfy seat and began to write what I could remember of my mentally written poem.

Fierce blew the storm, the wind, the rain
On this November night.

Bright autumn leaves now stripped away,
Trees naked in their plight

Now shines the sun with watery glow,
On this November day,
Wet pavements glistening in the light
Leaves carpeting the way

Long gone the days of summer warmth
And autumn's colours fade
Now wrap we up in coat and gloves

Umbrella's on parade

I hope to do a scrapbook page using this poem and the photos sometime hopefully soon but it is good to record them on the day.

Time to update

Goodness it is nearly a week since I updated my blog. I have been busy scrapping again so definitely got some pages to put on here.
Spent the afternoon with my Son and family Sunday. They had been to a car boot sale and bought lots of baby clothes for just 50p an item, then of course Rufus had to parade in his new clothes. Here is one of the outfits, in a layout of course



I wasn't idle re scrapping during the week either and have actually done 33 this month but only 8 of those were with paper and glue etc. all the rest were digital ones, but they can take just as long to do sometimes but of course the resources are endless, well as endless as my imagination and skills



Helen sent me a couple of copies of the scan of her new little son to be, my third grandson, another source of joy and excitement. It is such a lovely thing to be a grandparent, to have little ones to watch them grown and develop their own personality. This one will be his own sweet self. Really looking forward to the day he is born and to greet him into a loving family.


I have managed to scrap something that is not one of my grandchildren .
I hope to take a photo of this view in winter, hopefully with snow on the trees, then again in spring and summer it should make a nice series, especially if I can get some more lace in different colours but just as wide. Was really pleased with this

You'll get a kiss from your daddy Layout

I love this photo of Neil and his little son. The layout is done using pencil line sketch 157

My Two Gorgeous Grandsons

I know that I am prejudiced but I think I have two wonderful grandsons, Daniel seems to charm everybody he meets



and Rufus is so advanced for only 7 weeks

Not sure whether he is the office boy or the boss

Pencil Line Cyber Crop part 3

The last three