Why there are...

...no piccys of me - coz I'm always the one with the camera, lol.

I must admit, I try to avoid anyone with a camera - family gatherings, weddings, parties etc. If I see someone with a camera I'm usually heading in the other direction at a rapid rate of knots :o)

However, I do acknowledge that this is not ideal behaviour for scrapbooking. I have all the typical "growing-up" pics and have successfully scrapped many of these but recent photos, ugh ahhhhhhhhhh, suppose I should do something about that...

A nice day, suitable war-paint, and I just might ask DH to do the honours.............

Finally...

...got some photos developed.

Although the weather in Gosport the other weekend was not great (understatement!!!!) I did manage to get a few reasonable pics on the Saturday morning. I promise, I will get around to creating a LO, just as soon as I find some suitable paper...lol.

You might just be able to make out the Spinnacker Tower in the middle of this mish-mash of pics. As a point of interest, this building was supposed to be called the Millennium Tower - you've guessed it, it should have been finished and open to the public to celebrate the new millennium. Instead of opening for the start of 2000 it was over 2000 days late and didn't open until October 2005...ooooops!

What with this and the delays to the new Wembley Stadium, it kinda makes you wonder about that rather big, forthcoming event in 2012...>;o

Pretty in...

...PINK.

I am not normally a "pink" person. I quite like heathery shades but rarely go for the sugery/Barbie tints that make up the world of "pink". I much prefer the mauve shades through to burgundy. :o)

However, DH bought me some lovely carnations whilst I was ill (photo doesn't do them justice) and they looked so pretty - Dark pink, pale pink & creamy white. I really shouldn't use the past-tense here because they are still going strong and provide a lovely cheery greeting every morning.

Ooooooooo, I do love flowers...

Today is Thursday...

...earth shattering news, nah!

Just thought I'd give Nicola a bit more warning that her crop is next week LOL. So Nic, you've got 7 days...and counting

Went back to work Monday, still not feeling 100% but not feeling bad enough to justify staying off work :o( Wish I had though! My desk is right under the air circulation vent and for two days I have sat under a cold draft...needless to say, my cough is doing well (hummmmm).

Yesterday was booked as leave so that I could go to the hairdressers. Unfortunately, DHs cousin who works in the salon had forgotten to book my appointment and the day was fully booked (she had also forgotten to tell me that my stylist doesn't work on a Wed, doh!!!) so a rather wasted morning.

Couldn't do very much with the morning as DH had booked me an induction at his gym, cute, we can both go and get hot, sweaty, and breathless together AND pay for the privilage. Still, positive thinking - I will go to the gym and I will get fit (how often do you have to repeat this so that you actually believe it?????).

So, the hair has to wait another week - DH has said he will call in at the salon to make sure it is booked this time and back to work today...>;o

Feel like throwing my dummy outta the pram as it is cold out there (very heavy frost everywhere this morning - brrrrrrrrr - teeth chattering already at the thought) and the likelihood of the vent having been fixed is less than zero. Think I better dig out an extra scarf to wear, IN WORK...........

Quick edit: Nicola - we have used a few 'vintagy' papers lately so how about some of the new pastels? Not necessarily for Easter but to try and remind us that Spring is on the way :o)

If Bev wants to get rid-of I'm sure Mum can make use of. The change in weather has kept her indoors so it will give her stuff to do - Ta!

No change to hair, just due for a trim - fringy bit has got quite long already. So don't go teasing John that it's not me again...

Okay, I won't throw my dummy outta the pram but it was cold yesterday and BR was on a roll (well no actually, it wasn't rolling anywhere - we sat going nowhere for over 40 mins because something had hit a bridge ahead of us...). They apologised for the 'slight' (?????) delay.

Yesterday was...

...The BIG One

Red Nose Day 2007

We have a pub at the 'Village' end of our road and they decided to go all-out for this weekend starting with RND'07.

As it was a lovely day DH suggested a walk down to the pub for lunch - great idea when not feeling 100% (no cooking, no washing up, no clearing away - yes, yes,yes!) so off we strolled.

Locals now refer to this pub as "The Inn", it's a lot easier as this watering-hole has had a name change...originally call "The Village Inn" it underwent a complete renovation a few years back, along with its name, and is now called "The Inn on the Green". This name is slightly misleading...whilst the small stretch of road that runs infront of the pub is called 'The Green' I doubt there has actually been any 'green-stuff' out front since the Great War (even that is debatable) still it is roughly the centre of the 'village' - Church one side, barber shop to the right, florist, bank & Pub - the essentials of 'village' life.

I digress...

The Inn was suitably decked in RED, along with the staff, and posters announced a whole host of fun planned for the day.

This is the first time I have been in The Inn at lunchtime and was impressed by a good selection of food all priced at £3.50 - we each had a 5oz steak with all the trimings and it was great. Nothing overly fancy, just good old fashion pub-grub.

The menu had been 'altered' in honour of the occasion and there were RED Nose burgers, BIG One Hot dogs and several other tasty (??? - lol) items that I can't recall.

Whilst enjoying our meal the fun began...

A professional hairdresser had offered her time and was willing to snip at any barnet for a suitable donation (it seemed to be mostly fellas who took advantage of this offer - I think because a £5 donation was cheaper than going to the barber across the road) :o) But probably the most fun was had by the lass from the local salon. She was offering 'waxing' for a suitable donation. Men, booze, waxing...strange combination. Have you ever seen building site navvys, the size of the proverbial brick ****house, reduced to shreeking wimps by a 'size Zero' female??? No? It has to be seen to be believed - hawwwwwwww, hawwwww!!!

It was all in a good cause and several fellas were sent on their way with smartly clipped hair and very smooth lower legs :o) There were suggestions that 'other' (*use your imagination*) parts of the male anatomy should under-go the wax treatment but strangly enough there were no takers...wonder why???

In the beer garden (well, paved patio area at the back of the pub) was the RND version of a bucking bronco - a HUGE red nose in the middle of a bouncy castle - minus the castle bits. For those of you familiar with the characters of 'Little Britain', The Inn has its very own 'Dafyd' (not sure that is spelt right...) and he was game for a laugh at trying out this super-sized rotating, bucking, conk - he actually did quite well..........

RND'07 was well supported at The Inn and I hope they raised a lot for this very good cause.

Today is St Patrick's Day and there are various events planned along with a special low price for the Irish nectar - Guinness. Hope St Paddy's day is just as much fun.......

Photos...

...I need more photos - on this blog I mean, and on numerous scrap LOs that still need to be finished.

Looking at the carrier bags/boxes/folders that inhabit just about any spare cupboard space in this house you could be forgiven for thinking "she has finally lost it". But come on, you must know what I mean...

That new range of fab 12x12 that you just MUST have or the latest crop project that is simply 'to die for'. Then the hunt begins...you're sure you have a pic of ***enter subject as appropriate***that will be just right! but can you find it...of course you can't, what were you thinking, THAT perfect piccy has been snatched away by the goblins. So what happens, the LO gets done and stored safely whilst the hunt goes on...

I really am speaking from experience here (lol) last year I was browsing the family photo collection - as one does from time to time - and I came across a collection of pics of my super "Inspector Morse" jag *Toni sighs as the memories come flooding back* It had taken us so long to find a suitable specimen that DH went mad with the David Bailey bit - there were pics taken from just about every angle possible, in the boot, under the spare wheel, if you can think of a part of a car I'm sure DH had a pic of it :o) Looking at the pics I really wanted to do a LO but couldn't find anything suitable in my stash (common problem, heh???) so I put the pics to one side with a view to adding to said stash at the earliest possible opportunity...

Less than a week later, Nicola posted the next crop project - perfect! Colours were just right to show off the pale metalic blue of my motor, no probs, a project that I would be able to finish on the night...ugh, ahhhhhhh. Don't be silly, we had workmen in that weekend, we had packed things away for safe keeping (???) said pics are still on the missing list and another LO sits in my "to be completed" album.

So as I was saying, I need more photos.

I have mentioned before that my 35mm has finally given up the ghost so I have been making the most of the BOGOFs from Boots (their own brand single use cameras are fine for close pics but pretty useless for distance work :o( grumble, mumble, hurumf) not only do you get 2 cameras for the price of one but you get extra points when you get them developed---developed---that's the problem!!!! I don't get the time to call at my local Boots very often and I currently have 5 (YES!! I did say FIVE) lots of pics to be processed...

Whilst we were away the other weekend, visiting the boat, DH asked why I was using "one of those crappy little things when there was a digital camera and some very expensive 35mm equipment sitting at home" - it's amazing what one finds out, too late to be of any use, of course...

DH had done the 'camera thing' many years ago and I thought that he had sold it all when he moved on to the...was it - golf?, sailing? sky-diving? - one of those, I'm sure. And as for a digital camera...the only time that has been available for my use it has been missing one or two bits of vital equipment, namely - battery and/or memory card, doh!

Mobile phones with camera facility are great, up to a point, but I need to get to grips with the process of getting the pic from the phone to the PC (DH did it in a flash but didn't explain just HOW he did it, ummmmmm) something to do with SIM cards and a little USB box thingy attached to PC.

Well, whilst I try and sort some pics out I'll leave you with a pic of a piece of equipment that I will not be using...

...I just wouldn't be able to fit it in my scraptote...................he,he,:o)

Yuk, Yuk, Yuk...

...boy am I feeling yuk.

Thought I was coming down with a cold but noooooooo, I've managed to pick up the bug that has been doing the rounds at work :o(

Saw the Dr on Friday and thought that a few days taking it easy would soon sort things, nah, I still feel as grotty as I did last week. From what the Doc said, it is a virus so there isn't anything that can be taken other than painkillers to ease the sore throat and he was sure a bundle of laughs (not) when he advised that I can expect to have this cough for at least 6 to 8 weeks - deep joy.........

I know from the multitude of blogs that I browse that this has been hitting folk all over the place so I should think myself lucky that I managed to resist the dreaded bug this long. At least the weather is looking brighter so there is something good to look out on and I timed this well (lol) we now have a new squidgy leather sofa that is lovely to snuggle up on so things ain't too bad.

I am hitting the vitC with a vengance as I really don't want to miss this week's crop...

The Weather will be fine...

...yeh, right - huh!

DH decided that it was time that I got to see the boat that he and his mate run as a charter down on the south coast.

The first problem was that it clashed with Artbase's March event so instead of going down to Gosport early Friday morning and returning late Sunday we had to be back Saturday night. The second problem was that when all these arrangements were being made, DH forgot that he was on a training course until lunch-time Friday...best laid plans, and all that.......

Still, Friday morning was when the garage arranged to collect my poorly car so everything was going fine :o)

Everything was packed, I waved bye-bye to my car on the back of a low-loader and as soon as DH stepped in the door bags were grabbed and shoved in the car - we were off.

Now it is a while since I have been anywhere near a boat and whilst I pride myself on being a reasonable sailor (tummy-wise) I don't like being on a boat in bad weather, so I had checked the weather for the south coast on the BBC website. The forecast was fine for the weekend (although I did note that hail was on the way for Tuesday, on-wards) so everything seemed set for a good time - why do I ever believe anything that the weatherman says????????

We made very good time on the road, sun was shining, and then I saw them...dark, horrid clouds just filling the sky. DH was very 'up-beat' about it and said that the clouds were not in the direction that we were ultimately heading (???). Ten mins later the wipers were swishing...

We arrived in Gosport and decided to park and catch the ferry to Gun Wharf - shops, shops, shops :o) - before going to the boat. The ferry was a bit choppy but not too bad and despite the pouring rain it was good looking round all the outlet stores - I was very good (*Toni smiles whilst polishing her halo - lol*) I only purchased a handbag and a chunky jumper. Well actually, DH purchased them...:o) A hot white choc latte and a muffin and it was back on the ferry to the car.

The following pics are from the charter blurb as the weather was not reeeeeeeally suitable for taking photos...

The lower of the deck plans represents the layout of DH's boat.

The boat was very snug despite the howling gale and lashing rain, outside, but glassfibre doesn't deaden the sound very much when you are trying to sleep.

We had a great evening with friends at The Pump House trying one of everything on the Tapas menu between us and their prailine hot choc is simply to die for, mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Walking along dark, wet, windy jettys is not my idea of fun and I didn't sleep very well due to the banshees howling outside.

Saturday dawned bright and sunny but verrrrrrry cold. Hot bacon baggettes in The Pump House were followed by a brisk walk to the market in the highstreet. Lovely start to the day but thermal undies would not have gone amiss, lol.

DH decided we would drive to Lymington. The drive through the New Forest was great.

Lymington is very quaint and there was a market there too. As we arrived it was starting to cloud over so we decided to have a quick wander up and down the high street before the weather changed for the worse.

Back down by the Quay we found a lovely restaurant called The Bluebird (pics of Donald Campbell and his speed atempts were everywhere). The homemade veg soup was scrummy and the Mussels with shallots in white wine and cream sauce were delish. Whilst we tucked in to this super nosh the rain arrived...

We managed a quick walk to the boat yard but everywhere was so muddy (my new trainers are in need of a damned good clean - hurumf, grrr, yuk, poo) and the rain kept threatening with little squawls.

After a quick visit to friends DH drove home. Not having slept well the previous night I spent most of the journey in that twilight world of being able to hear the radio and the road sounds but not really with-it...asleep, but not asleep...if you know what I mean. Arriving home I don't remember very much after my head hit the pillow.

Well, I've been, I've seen and hopefully, next time I won't end up with a cold...atishooooooo