Explore - Routine and Surroundings

Observing the little things that make up my day,
I awake at 5.56 far too early really but I'm wide awake so get up.

(OK I cheated I didn't take this at 5.56, though that was the time I got up, I just put the clock back to that time) :-D

I want to strip the bed, and this time instead of washing drying and putting the same duvet cover back on I decided to use a fresh one. It's been shoved in a draw for ages so I iron it in situ, never done that before but it is easier than using an ironing board. I'm not too keen on a pure white cover so find a pretty scarf that is long enough to go across the bed.

Then I must have some breakfast and of course that means putting on the computer. I always have my breakfast while saying good morning to my friends on UKScrapper. I also see if I have an email from Shimelle with today prompt. Yes and guess what, she suggest we take a photograph of where we sit, stand and sleep. Perfect, my bed looks so much nicer than usual

Where I sit when at the computer depends on the weather, in summer my computer is often in the lounge as it is too hot in the back of the bungalow. so I have a little plastic bedside table that slips under one of my armchairs. I sit in comfort and type and play.

and then of course there is MY CHAIR

There is a story behind this chair which I wrote in my playbook for today's entry.
You didn't start off as mine at all, you resided in Bishops Cleeve, much loved by my Mother in Law. You were bought for her by Langs the builders, because they looked after their pensioners extremely well. When she died you came to live with us and became John's chair. You are now rather old and shabby but I wouldn't want to part with you. I fall asleep in your arms, I watch TV from your comfort. I feel safe and relaxed in you. You are mine now, I wonder who will claim you after I'm gone.

There is nowhere to sit in my kitchen so that is where I stand, my favourite thing to do there is make endless cups of coffee and tea, but the best one of all is the one I have with my breakfast because I allow myself one cup of real cafinated coffee a day.

Now what shall I do today, a bit more decluttering I think. I have too much stuff in my bedroom, and it's never easy to keep clean and tidy as it stands, so time to rethink. I manage to cull a little bit from my wardrobe but not much I do love all my clothes and even those I don't wear often I can't bring myself to turf out. I do manage to get rid of the things that are in the bottom draw of my chest of drawers so now have an empty draw to fill up again. I was going to put all my scrapbook magazines up in the loft but decided that would sit on top of said chest of drawers (well for the moment anyway).

Checking on the washing I have white marks all over my duvet cover so back into the wash with lots of vanish on it. No use still there they just won't come out and I have no idea what has happened. Time for a new set (well any excuse to shop for petty things)
My neighbour kindly takes me into town as there is a shop that is closing down and prices are very low. I get a Duvet set that I like (hope it is as nice when on the bed). We pop into TKMax for a cuppa and a browse and then out to take a photo of the old Renault building (I needed a metal and glass one for the scavenger hunt).
As for the rest of the afternoon I really don't know what I have done except sit at the computer or in my chair to eat dinner while watching TV.

Photo Scavenger hunt

I've been trying to play along with Maria "Rinda" Ontiveros photo scavenger hunt I have managed to get some more of the things
Here is the list
1. A picture of your entire team (or a self-portrait, if you're playing alone). already done
2. A museum
3. A camp fire (or fire in a fireplace)
4. A protest, town hall meeting or other political activity
5. A hand lettered sign selling something or giving directions
6. A person dressed as a pirate  already done already done
7. A decorated mailbox (Non-U.S. participants may substitute a piece of garden sculpture) already done
8. Your country's flag already done
9. A festival or fair
10. A wooden bridge
11. A forest
12. A unicycle
13. A cemetery of historical significance or with an interesting story.
14. A castle
15. Graffiti art (not just graffiti and not just a wall mural)
16. A building made of metal or glass
17. Rain already done
18. A person sketching or painting outside their house already done
19. A beehive or an ant farm with live ants already done
20. A handmade roadside memorial or shrine.
21. A rooster already done
The ones struck through you can find here
I've added three more

the museum is a very tiny one at the top of the town where I live.
wooden bridge is over a very small stream just off the back lane (my walk to Asda)
The Metal and Glass building was originally a Renault showroom, built in 1985 it has always been painted yellow and looks just like meccano to me.

Nature's Calendar - Lily Pond

This clump of water lilies are in an inaccessible place so I had to use the zoom on my camera, therefore the definition is not great but I love the water's edge the reflection in the water draws me in

Nature's Calendar - Little Acorns

Nature's Calendar - Thistle and Bee

Explore - The Layout

I thought I was going to do a layout on my venture into Table Top Rallying, but Rudi had other ideas. As soon as I got the map out to take a photo he sat on it, move around a bit and settle there to have a wash. So of course he became the subject of my page on exploring maps.

This layout also doubles up for a challenge on UKScrappers which is to scraplift one of the finalist of Scrap Factors pages  I chose Nic-B's Afternoon Tea

A Wordle on Perfection

I thought I'd do a Wordle on my blog entry of Perfection. Just something to do while we wait for the next prompt to appear. I got it to print in alphabetical order. Just cos that would be a near perfect thing to do.

I love what is written in large letters across the middle 'eye (I) Love Perfect'. oh and how about just above the word perfect there is 'Perfection Photograph' yes I like that too. ' Images maybe' ' find fact'
It fun to see what you can find when you jumble up the words.

Nature's Calendar - Little green Frog

Explore - Perfect

Perfect, what is perfect, what in my life would I not want to change.
I love where I live. I love the fact that I can open my back gate and walk out into the lane. The hedgerow, the trees, the birds, all call to me inviting me to seek out what is there. I cross the main road and into the back lane proper, this is my way of going food shopping, an enjoyable half hour or more stroll clicking away with my camera.
What is perfect in the plants and birds I photograph, probably nothing and yet everything. I love the images I capture. The feeling that God has planted them there for me to find. That He is walking with me showing me his treasures.
This photo I took on the 11th of this month. A wild oat, I think, just a single plant, by the side of a wall. It caught my eye and of course the eye of my camera. To me, perfect.

Or this one the seed heads of Meadowsweet look how they curl, perfect.

or maybe this the centre of an ox eye daisy, see how the florets are concentric, perfection itself.

I found a quotation that made me smile

No one is perfect... that's why pencils have erasers. ~Author Unknown

And finally a story that Scrapdolly put on her blog sometime ago, it shows that perfection is not always the best thing

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.'

The old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?'

'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.'
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.

Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.'

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding..

You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

SO, to all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Nature's calendar - Seed Pod

Explore - Maps

I love maps, I have a whole shelf full. John and I used to get a map of any area we were visiting, and pour over it before we went. Such fun to see what was there. Then on the journey John drove and I read the map. Many times that would lead to mishaps but never mind we would eventually get to our destination.
I just picked a few off the shelf for this photo, using the ones with a photo on the front rather than just a map.

Opening up the large scale Leisure map of the English Lake District finding an interesting section and taking a close up photo I used this on the front of an envelope which I have stuck in my playbook

Nearly all British diaries have a map of the London underground printed on one of the information pages, the diary I was given had a map of British Rail Lines as well so they are on the back of the envelope and the page it is attached to. Inside the envelope I have put my rail cards from my latest trip oop North.

I think I will have to get my maps out again sometime and perhaps do a table top rally. That was something John and I used to do at a motoring club we belong to in North London many many years ago in the 1960s.
I have just found a website that have a TT rally using a map I have so I may spread it out on the floor this evening and see if I can do it. Perhaps this is going to be a new/old hobby for me.

Nature's Calendar - Flowers on the tree

There is the most amazing tree in the centre of town. I don't know what it is called but it's seed pods look like runner beans. I have photographed this tree many times but never have I seen the blossom before.
Here it is again in situ with seats around it and, although they can't be seen it is probably full of birds.

the photo makes the tree look sparse in leaves but it isn't in reality, it must be the sunlight streaming through blanking out some of the foliage

Postcard to myself

Today we are recording an adventure, a time when we did something extraordinary. For me that was deciding to take a holiday on my own. Scary. The year was 2005 and John, my beloved husband had died 3 years earlier. I just didn't have anyone to go on holiday with and so I took the bull by the horns and booked myself into Abbotts Hall in South Cumbria for a walking holiday.

I have printed out a photo onto one side of a postcard and written about that adventure on the back and posted it to myself. 2nd class stamp posted at 1800 hours today wonder when it will drop through my letterbox and I can add it to my book.

My book still not finished but I have made a start. Hopefully will be able to finish the covers tonight.

2100 hours (or thereabouts) I finished the front cover of my book.

With a scrap of patterned paper and some ribbons with words on that I have had in my stash for ages. the butterfly stickers with wings that are raised and the little foam sticker with cute animals and letters I had fun

Explore - An on Line Class by Shimelle

I wasn't going to do this class, I didn't finish the last one, but............... I caved in and have joined the gang again. Thanks Shimelle I do love your classes
First thing is to make my book, well I did make a little smash book (as well as the bigger one) neither of which have I really used. So the little one will be perfect just have to decorate it, at the moment it is plain and boring - mmm perhaps that is why I haven't used it?
In the meantime our first challenge is to take a self portrait in the mirror so our camera is in the photo with us. Trying to find some different way of doing this I thought of the 3 winged mirror in my spare/junk room most of the photos show the state of the room behind me ....

....but there is one that I like. Next thing crop it down a bit, can't have my head just in the bottom left hand corner and an expanse of mirror in the rest now can I?

If you want to join in you will find the details here

Nature's Calendar - Teasel in Flower

Nature's Calendar - Meadow Sweet

Yesterday I put up a photo of the seed heads of Meadow Sweet, today the flower, yes I know that's not the right way round :D

Nature's Calendar - Seed Heads of Meadow Sweet

I am seeing so many wonderful things through doing this Nature's Calendar each day. It's amazing how wonderful God has made each and every plant and creature. The curly effect of these seed heads, for example. Who would notice them unless we look for the unusual

Nature's Calendar - Poppy & Beetle

Freebie Kit - Forest

I'm definitely back in digi mode, another page and another freebie kit download here


and here is the layout I've done using part of it.

Nature's Calendar - red Admiral

Nature's Calendar - Wild Oat

Shopping

I went into town today because I needed some A4 card for the minibook I will be teaching on Saturday. Now that was all I went in for, but....
....why can I never just get what I need and go home. I bought ink for my printer, OK yes I do need it although it is still printing OK it keeps telling me the ink is low.
I bought Glue & spreaders, because I wasn't sure that the girls in my class would have any and it's needed for the mini book.
I bought chocolate, crisps and twiglets, certainly not needed, certainly not good for my waist line, almost certainly means I will be putting on weight, but, what the heck, I love chocolate, crisps and twiglets.
I also bought a nice black top, from our new BHS Very stylish looking shop it is now too.

I've also done another digi page, seem to be on a roll again, but with digi this time rather than paper.

Nature's Calendar - Teasel

Layouts

Whenever I go oop north to my daughter and family I have to take lots of photos of my grandsons No. 1 & 3 and of course that leads to layouts. so without further ado here are the ones I have done so far
No. 1 Grandson celebrated his 4th birthday while I was there

this one is a paper page but the following are all Digital

Freebie Kit - Jazz

I have created a new freebie kit that you may like to download I've called it Jazz

Here is my layout using this kit, it was done for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers
we had to do something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
the old was my use of buttons
new of course was this kit
something borrowed is this sketch from Page maps

Nature's Calendar - Varigated Petunia

10 on the 10th on the beach

Oops I forgot to do my 10 on the 10th so I'm posting it now, but really these photos were taken on the 9th so this should read 10 on the 9th posted 11th but that's too much of a mouthful. So I'll keep it as 10 on the 10th. :D

for lots more 10 on the 10th visit Shimelle's blog here

Nature's Calendar - Battered by the sea