Layout in May

Here are the rest of the pages I have done this month









this last one was done to record my memories and has a lot of journalling attached.
My goodness how prams have changed, Here am I sitting in mine, a big old carriage pram. I don’t really remember it but the drop down part seems vaguely familiar, perhaps I played with it as I got older, it was probably the same pram Mum used for Alan who is three years my junior.
I do remember that pram cover, though, it was fawn on one side and a pale green on the other and had a dogs head sitting on top. I used it on my dolls pram for years afterwards.
I had a similar sort of pram for my children, no way could these be taken onto a bus. The only transport for me was the train which took us across the water from Saltash to Plymouth, everywhere else I had to push it and as we lived by the river and the hill up to town was steep this was indeed hard work.
I had Neil in the pram and Helen sitting on the top making the pram very heavy. We had a border collie at the time and I used to tie his lead to the front so he could help me up the hill. No wonder I was so slim with all that heavy pram pushing.

A fortnight of photos

Another month passed by and I haven't much to show for it, just a few photos and a few layouts completed.
Saturday 17th May I had Rufus for the day, we went down the back lane so he could play on the slides and climbing frames, we had to go through a 'kissing' gate so I thought I would race him to it and demand a kiss, oops instead of running I fell and badly bruised my eye

 and got gravel in my hand so we had to come home again. It was a lovely sunny day so we had lunch in the garden.

Sunday 18th
Neil and Rufus picked me up after church. Rufus was very excited he told me Daddy had a new Lego to make and Daddy had said he could help. (really the Lego was for Rufus and he did manage to make part of it)

 No Eli sorry you are too young for Lego but you can play with the box

Wednesday 21st
A beautiful sunny day, how much better I feel when the sun is shining, how much nicer Swindon appears in the sunlight. I had a little play with my camera while waiting for the bus (I needed to go up to Old Town to get my glasses adjusted the fall on Saturday had knocked them a bit out of alignment

The underpass from the bus station looking from the road above

The Pagoda at the civic offices. I love the way the sunlight and shadows make patterns

I had to try at least to take one of myself under the pagoda good job no one was around 

 the beautiful wisteria and the twisted branches

Sunday 25th 

dinner ready about to dish up and I have a phone call from Neil, "I know this is a last minute invite but do you want to come over" (dinner will do for tomorrow)

After a lovely meal we went for a walk through Town Gardens

Town Gardens are noted for its Squirrels

There was an extra Squirrel this day. His name is Rufus

Bank Holiday Monday 26th

Special tread Pancakes for Breakfast

A trip out to Hungerford for a Cream Tea on Sue & Bob's long boat

It doesn't look like it in that photos but we did pack the boat full, at one stage there must have been a dozen people there, finding a perch where they could. Shame the weather was not good enough to eat our food sitting on the bank of the canal

View from the Prow 

Wednesday 28th

Rufus as his alter ego Peter Parker

 With added wig for further disguise

 

Saturday 31st 

Big Picnic on the Green at Acre's Way

RCBC's Worship group

 A snapshot up the field

 

 Eric Shirley & Nigel

 Issy had to get her face painted

 

St Mary's tower from the Green

 

On the way home I spied a lone poppy against the church wall

 

A photo heavy post but it records my month in pictures

Today I am grateful for Family & Friends

for a good book to read

for a camera to record my life

I did several layouts but I'll put them in another post, hopefully tomorrow

Playing catch up again

Oops it's over a week since I last posted. Mind you I haven't really done much in the week except the usual things.
I felt so low on Saturday and for several days before that I've been eating rubbish, biscuits nuts twiglets cheesy bites etc. Weighing myself today I have put on too much again and am nearly 11 stone. This is going to be hard to shift, especially as all I want to do is nibble.
Sunday to stop myself from picking I invited myself over to my son's for late dinner and company.
Monday, back to picking oops must try and control the urge to eat.
Tuesday I had craft club and I'm making a lace and bead choker, surprised myself as I am really enjoying this although it is time consuming. I have completed about a third of it. Hope it is going to sit properly

Of course I have been scrapping, sometimes that's the only thing that keeps me going




and today's contribution this one uses a photo of my mother in law as a wee child about 2 or 3 I should think but I have no details at all except knowing who they all are. What a shame that this wasn't found till after they had all died.


Today I am grateful for crafts that keep me sane
friends on line to 'talk' to 
Sunshine and warmth at long last.

New shelves and a Mini Book

I have a  lovely neighbour, he came and put up some shelves for me so I could get all my scrapbook albums together in one place.

while I was sorting through all my albums I discovered a mini book that I had started years ago and never completed. I had done most of the embellishments even done the front cover with the title of what I wanted to put in it but not the photos. So that was my task for bank holiday Monday.







I tried to find out who had created this in the first place but I couldn't discover it at all although I had found many mini books and one or two similar but not this one. If anyone would like to make it for themselves here is the template

 

Today I am grateful for Camelot weather

The rain may never fall till after sundown.
By eight, the morning fog must disappear.
In short, there's simply not
A more congenial spot
For happily-ever-aftering than here
In Camelot. 

For crafting with friends 

for Adrian Plass's sense of humour 

         in his book Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation an A-Z of the Christian life he writes

Icon (1) a devotional painting or carving, usually on wood, of Christ or another holy figure (2) it is not generally know that, as a creative race, icon artists are less than confident. When addressing them on the subject of their art, one should look very directly into their faces and express one's response to their work with delicacy and subtlety. This is known in artistic circles as icon-tact.

 

the glorious nothing days

I had a phone call from my son yesterday, "we are having a lazy day do you want to come over and join us" Of course I did, I had a great time with Rufus and Eli and we took some photo of the boys with chalk writing on the wall to make into invitations for Neil & Gemma's wedding celebrations at the end of the year. Rufus thought it was great fun being allowed to actually scribble on the wall, while Eli preferred the taste of the chalk

Today I have felt lazy again, though I did get to church this morning. This afternoon I've sat in front of the box on and off most of the time but I did manage to finish a layout that I'd started a week or so back.

the journalling explains the title


today I am grateful for lazing around days
for a lovely Sunday roast (which is such a simple meal to prepare and it cooks itself while I'm at church)

and finally

Preparations

My son is getting married at the end of the year. I went looking to see what would be the sort of outfit I would like to wear. Oops I bought it, I couldn't resist. I know it's early, I know that it is really a summer dress but I just had to have it. I look good in it, (well I think I do *insert silly grin*)


Now what to do for a head piece, I can't buy hats to fit, my head if far too small. I love fascinators, silly little bits of nonsense perched on the bouffant.
So, (or should that be sew) I made one, perfect as I could get the exact colours to match the dress. I already had the navy blue net so a little corsage of pink flowers and some ribbon all attached to a facsinator base (my favourite haberdashery shop came up trumps for all of that) and voilà

I think Lenny (my Millennium bear) models it well, much better than I do at the moment, at least till I have my hair done again.
I just have to get a nice pair of shoes and some gloves, oh and as it will be cold, either a warm jacket or a wrap of some sorts. But there is plenty of time for that I have till the end of October after all.