Journal Your Christmas 2010

I thought this year I would use this blog instead of a separate Christmas one as I may not be blogging everyday in December. I have made a cover page and am going to do the same as last year and do it digitally also have the same size format, last one of those books that I have.

Musings and Freebie

I am getting excited and also panicking, Wednesday I travel up to Edinburgh to celebrate my 70th birthday. Hope the train lines are not going to be troublesome as it has been snowing and very, very cold.
I've been looking forward to this time away with my family for so long just hope we can all make it up there. I'm travelling by train from Wiltshire, Helen and Andy are taking the Carlisle Train from Skipton and from there to Edinburgh, but my son is travelling up on Thursday night Friday morning by car.

Anyway, you will be far more interested in a Freebie Digi Kit I'm sure download it here


I have also done some scrapping
another paper page for my Daughter's wedding album

and a paper page of my middle grandson having so much fun in the fallen leaves

Digi Scrapping again and 52in10

Hi folks, I seem to have gone back to my first love (scrapping wise) and have been doing them digitally, even though I have plenty of stash and my craftroom is tidy the computer calls and I can't resist.
Monday is UKScrappers weekly challenge day and I love to at least make a start on that day. I really didn't think I could do this week's though as it sounded more like a GCSE exam than a challenge, but my team egged me on and of course that was enough to make me try.
We had to do a layout of a sculpture from our town, but there is only one proper sculpture and I had scrapped that at least twice. I asked the challenge setter if it would be OK to do a page on ones at my daughters home town of Skipton, having been given the all clear I chose just one of the 26 sheep dotted around the town, the one most appropriate for me Snapper (camera around his neck)


Journalling reads
The name Skipton comes from the Saxon word for sheep - the town really began as a trading centre for sheep and wool. So when they decided to follow other towns and have temporary sculptures what better ones to choose than sheep.
There are 26 all in all though I only found a few while I was up there.
This one was probably the most appropriate for me as I always have my camera with me round my neck.
Snapper is to be found in the Craven Court Shopping Centre, his artist is Tony O’Connell
There isn’t a date but they were all painted this year and will be in situ until the 19th December 2010

 Last week's 52 in 10 challenge called us to examine how we have changed over the years, and my photo of me holding the tarantula was a perfect example. When I was younger, and especially when John was around to deal with them I was petrified of spiders, I would shudder at the sight of a tarantula even in a cage but I really wanted to handle this beauty no qualms at all.


Having made a digi Christmas kit I wanted to use some of it so here are a couple of pages of Rufus taken last Christmas.


this one doesn't really use any of the kit but I needed another Christmas layout to fill up the space in Rufus's album.

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Today I am grateful to a warm bungalow

being able to put my washing on an outside line no matter what the weather is doing. (my line is under the car port)

Digi scrapping and having fun creating

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here is a funny email that was sent to me this morning. I do love receiving something that really makes my day start with a good chuckle

Doctor's Notes
Actual doctor's comments on patients' charts.

 

Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.

On the second day, the knee was better and on the 3rd day it disappeared
completely.

She has had no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very
hot in bed last night.

The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1993.

The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be
depressed.

Discharge status: Alive but without permission.

The patient refused an autopsy.

The patient has no past history of suicides.

Patient has left his white blood cells at another hospital.

Patient's past medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a
40 pound weight gain in the past three days.

Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.

Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.

Since she can't get pregnant with her husband, I thought you might like to
work her up.

She is numb from her toes down.

While in the ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home.

The skin was moist and dry.

Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.

Patient was alert and unresponsive.

Rectal exam revealed a normal size thyroid.

She stated that she had been constipated for most of her adult life, until
she got a divorce.

I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.

Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.

Exam of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.

The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.

The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a
stockbroker instead.

Skin: Somewhat pale but present.

The pelvic examination will be done later on the floor.

Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the
abdomen and I agree.

Large brown stool ambulating in the hall.

Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.

Freebie Digital Kit - Evergreen Christmas

It has been some time since I shared a digital kit with you all so I thought as it was coming up to the Christmas Season I would do a new one

 You can download it here

Home again home again jiggerty jog

I'm back in my lovely bungalow so now have no one to be with and time to update my blog.
I had a great week with my daughter and her family, and will miss them, still I will be seeing them again when we go up to Edinburgh next month.
I did manage to get on my computer a little bit and so not all that far behind. Just one more layout to share, but I do have lots of photos to sort out and make up pages with.


Just a couple of photos of my grandsons for now

A post from Skipton

I am posting from northern climes, up in Skipton North Yorkshire, with my daughter and her family.
My youngest grandson is 8 months now and really getting around, much to my eldest grandson's annoyance sometimes as his toys are quite an attraction for his brother.
Today there was an open day at one of the schools that Daniel may be attending as from next year. They really went to town and put on a very interesting display, best of all being the rescued wild animals. Daniel really would have liked to handle the owl, but they were not allowing that, but other creatures were being handled. I satisfied an ambition and had a tarantula on my hands, as light as a feather and very beautiful with rose pink hairs a Chilean Rose

Helen plucked up the courage to hold her too but unfortunately I didn't get a photo of it.
Andy was thrilled to have a 12' python curled around him weighing 8.5 stone.

Although the animals were a great attraction, there was plenty more things to see and take part in. Danny had his face painted and a photo taken and placed in a frame that he had decorated.

I have a layout to share too, digital one using some photos of Ben (Grandson no.3) that are not particularly good but I wanted to record.

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Today I am thankful for the opportunity to be with my family

and for being able to tick something off my list of 'things I want to do before I die'

Photo for today

I wanted a photo that summed up the day and somehow this one taken of one of the trees that line the road along the perimeter of the Orbital Shopping Centre seemed just right

A near perfect picture of an ordinary sight.
My day started out as most days do, I was to have Rufus for a while and Neil brought him over and then took us both into town.
I managed to get what I wanted, a pair of gloves and then decided I would bring Rufus back to my place, for once the bungalow was tidy and fitting for Rufus to play, he enjoyed sitting on his little chair to eat his lunch and share mine and then contented to play with the toys and my wooden cats. He was beginning to get rather tired so thought a leisurely walk pushing him in the pushchair would send him to sleep. later leaving their place I say this picture.
Just an ordinary day nothing very exciting but Oh so pleasant.

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I want to share this layout I did yesterday, Rufus amuses me so much at times he is such a character. 

A pleasant walk

Today I had to do some food shopping and also to post a package off, Asda is in one direction the Post Office in the other, which to do first?
As I left the bungalow I was still pondering whether to walk up the hill and post the package first then catch the bus to Asda or walk down the back lane to Asda do my shopping then catch the bus up to the post office and finally walk home.
Just before I had to make the final decision I noticed how the fallen leaves were holding the rain drops and just had to have a photo.

That  triggered a feeling that the Lord was telling me to walk down the back lane to Asda first and I am so grateful that I obeyed, for just the other side of the main road I saw squirrels and for once I was able to get my camera out and get some reasonable shots of them. Such a delight made more so because I know that this was a gift from God.


I love this little cheeky chappie looking at me as if to say ' go on take my photo'


Where is the photo that started the thought process, well I have done a layout and used that photo as the background to it


When I had finished my shopping I just had to go into Starbuck and Christmas must be just round the corner because it is Red Cup time and I had a lovely Gingerbread Latte along with one of their delicious mince pie.
After posting the package a short walk down the hill home again and on the way further signs that Christmas in not far away. A holly bush covered in berries



All in all a very satisfactory day out. I am so blessed to live here for me the perfect place.

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Today I am grateful that God has planted me here for...... 

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

My Special Breakfast

I love Mel's picture for everyday and also her recipe ones so thought I would take a leaf out of her book/blog and do one myself

 

Crumpets and coffee yummy

52 in 10 In Remembrance

Woo Hoo I have done another page for my 52in10 album, last few prompts just haven't been right for me but this one was so very right.
Karen of Dolly's Dreamings set us to scrap about those we have loved and lost, and although I haven't done much journalling about how I feel losing two very special men in my life I did rather enjoy doing this layout.
It is a little bit sombre but I felt that was appropriate.


I may yet do a page about my mother but that will be far harder to do as the way that she died still stings so, she more or less took her own life by refusing to eat and drink for nearly a fortnight. She had wanted to die for the last two years of her life and at 92 I suppose she had just had enough and couldn't fight the depression any longer. I still feel guilty that she was in a home rather than me looking after her but at the time I felt I couldn't do it on my own without my husband to support me.

Sorry to bring in such a depressing note. So here in much lighter vein is the layout I did last night, my eldest grandson enjoying the slide

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Today I am grateful for a surprise visit from my Son and his family

For today's preacher who brought such a good word this morning

For my Scrapping friends on UKScrappers

Buttons Buttons and more buttons

I've been playing with my buttons I have hundreds of them. It all started because Jemma Aka Jimjams made a bracelet with 4 hole buttons and I thought I would have a go. I did succeed in making a choker necklace

  
but then decided to sort some more 4 hole buttons out mainly because Jemma wanted to make another bracelet and didn't have any more buttons.
I have 5 big tins full plus others around so thought it would be easy to find enough to send to her, but it is surprising there are not that many 4 hole one. I did sort out some I can send thankfully.
In the sorting I came across some unusual one

 

I wouldn't like to try and do up these tiny mother of pearl ones they are only 5/16" in diameter.





I wonder what this button came off it seems to depict so many skills/trades.





I'm now known as the button lady on a Thursday  up at the church and people keep bringing me more buttons to sort through, not that I mind you find some real treasures sometimes.

Stash shopping spree

I went into town today, mainly to get my train ticket to go up to see my daughter and her family. That was a good excuse to also do a little bit of stash shopping. Unfortunately there are not many shops that I can easily get to that sell a good range of papers but the Range had a thick pad of My Mind's Eye paper 180 sheets for £20.00 a bargain I just couldn't resist. 60 different designs most of which I can use easily and only about three that I will struggle with a bit but may be able to cut motifs from. I also got a new 8x8 album and some bling.
I had a coffee and a muffin in Muffin Break and when I had finished my coffee this made me smile

Came home tired but happy with what I had purchased.
As I still had a lovely clear scrapping table I decided to do another page for my Daughters wedding album

It hasn't been a very nice night for the fireworks but they have still be going off all around here and my poor cat has tucked himself away in a corner, he doesn't like the bangs at all or the whizzes. Although it has gone very quiet here now he won't come out.

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Today I am grateful for quite a pleasant shopping spree

a clear scrapping area

and a layout that I am happy with

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Just a little something to make you giggle

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds."

I bought her a bathroom scale.

And then the fight started......

Craftroom Transformation

At long last my craft room is usable for two people and our stash. At one stage I thought I would never get there but tis done and ready for Jan to arrive this evening.

 

The tidying up was so worth while, I have had a lovely evening with my friend and we have both done a layout from the same sketch but looking so different, and we are both pleased with what we have produced.

I can only show you mine though.

another one for Daniel's album

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Today I am grateful for a friend to scrap with

being tidy even if it is not going to last long

and I want to share this with you someone found it and I think it is hilarious

Monday Monday

Monday morning and time to tidy up my craft room. I have someone coming to scrapbook with me on Wednesday and at the moment there is hardly room for me to scrap let alone two people.

But Oh dear, I did do a bit of tidying but not enough instead I got caught up in the weekly challenge on UKScrappers and did it both as a digital page and a paper page.

 think I like the digital page best.