Sunday 13th September

A family Sunday with lots going on but nothing going on if you know what I mean, one of those days we spent just pottering around with this and that! Here are some piccies of what was going on. Mike and Jamie were making a Star Wars Lego ship, which (fingers crossed) should be finished tomorrow. Binnie decided she wanted a big cuddle of Mike and was having one even if he didn't. Here he is finally caught on camera giving her a kiss, he protests that he doesn't like her, but you make your mind up!

She certainly looks quite content sat on his shoulder,

and here she is practically asleep!

Whilst Mike and Jamie were dong the Lego, I was clearing and sorting out my flower arranging stuff, which seems to have taken over! I am storing some of it in Jamie's tree house, as in the coming months I know I am going to need access to it (there is a big announcement coming - and that is a hint - more to be revealed as the week goes on!) Below are some of my plastic trays. I thought if I keep a folder of pictures of what I have I will be able to know exactly what I want from the box I keep them in - that's the theory anyway!

This is 1 of 2 frames my neighbour made for me for the Bucks Show competition, I used the arched one in the end, but this will be kept for future use, or to be borrowed by one of my flower arranging chums. All together the two cost about £10 so I think they have been a total bargain.

Here's the arched one.

More of my plastic containers

and a box full of them.

Here are my candle cups and a couple of larger bases and the compo which I use for pedestal arrangements. But seeing the pedestal used in church, I think I may get one of those in due course too.

I have been trying to catch up with all of my emails and I have only 4 left to deal with, which is almost unheard of for me. I have probably bombarded everyone today with emails and now their inboxes will be full instead of mine. But I am working on clearing my desk, inbox and making sure all my floristry stuff is in order over this coming week, and that I get the housework sorted too. I want to start next week with a lovely clean desk, house and slate!

Yesterday I popped into Winslow, where the lady who has brought the shop to the crop (!) was selling off a lot of her stock, v cheap, so despite being on a scrap crap diet (!) I splurged out all of £6.50 on the following, with Jamie adding a couple of bits into it too!

Some My Mind Eye and Teresea Collins - I like this one because it has a rock star type look about it.

Basic Grey, K & Co US States which we thought we may be able to use for a project at school (well eventually) and some doodlebug, into black and white at the moment.

A Basic Grey for me, and a couple that Jamie took a shine to, at 5p a sheet couldn't grumble.

Some more basic grey, I love these colours, these are really me colours. I already used some of these pattern in layouts and so have replaced some which I know I will use again.

A sunflower stamp, I can't resist sunflowers and a lady in a cloche hat, good for ATC's, inchies, twinchies etc.

I like borders, so the stamp (which is double sided) will be useful and the Italy stamps we are storing up for a possible school project, or a trip to Italy and the alphabet is American Crafts so all good items and only 50p each, a total bargain. I had looked at the dates for Ally Pally but I'm not going to be able to make that date other priorities. Now all I need is to get some scrapbooking done.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 8/16 - currently reading Lovers and Players by Jackie Collins
Jamie's Reading challenge 7/12 - currently reading Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Luceno
SLYMI - 1/52

Friendship

Something a little different for a change. I am not really a fan of chain emails, but I liked the sentiments of this one about friendship so thought I would use it here too, as well as sending it off to some pals.

A Good Friend

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself and doesn't feel even the least bit weird shutting your 'beer drawer' with her foot!

A simple friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend's shoulder is soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after they've gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it!

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend calls you after you had a fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!

And as for me - life is too short to put up with the simple and not long enough to share with the real.


Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 8/16 - currently reading Lovers and Players by Jackie Collins
Jamie's Reading challenge 5/12 - currently reading Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Luceno
SLYMI - 1/52

Friday - St Mary's Church Flowers

Mike and I went out for a walk this morning with Binnie but this afternoon I was going to church. I was going to church with my friend June to help her with the church flowers for St Mary's Church in Bletchley, the one near Bletchley Park. What a lovely church it is inside too, sadly the pews have gone, but I can see why as it gives the congregation many more ways to use the space.

We had a lovely time arranging the flowers and I have to say I think we have done a grand job and I am sure that everyone visiting the church will love them. June has done a really super job with a large pedestal arrangement, the largest she has ever done and I think she should be very pleased with her achievement, I would be! She also choose the flowers very well and we had tons of donated foliage.

I did an arrangement for the font and one on the poor box, I have to say it was an honour to do them, especially as the poor box dated from 1637 and the font is such a special place in church. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon and I really felt at home at the church, so I think I will probably take Jamie there in future and whilst we do not go to church regularly we do go occasionally and it did appear to be a very welcoming place. I've never arranged flowers in such a wonderful setting or historic place or with such a pleasant purpose so it was really uplifting - perhaps what church is all about.

Here is June's lovely pedestal

mine on the font,

and the poor box.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 8/16 - currently reading Lovers and Players by Jackie Collins
Jamie's Reading challenge 7/12 - currently reading Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Luceno
SLYMI - 1/52

Post 151!

This is my 151st post and I have posted as near as I can every day, well not exactly every day, but I've done a post for every day. I love my online journal as it gives me time to think about and reflect on my life and I enjoy the writing, I find it very soothing and cathartic - all in one!

Award for Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector - well it is official I have passed the PTLLS - the external verifier was in yesterday and just about everyone passed, which is totally brilliant, it will be celebration time soon, I think. I am so pleased for everyone on the course and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. Now we just have to have the celebration.

As I have promised I have added a little bit onto the Friars blog from very early days which you can find here, it is a little article about Mike.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I was at the dentist and it was not very nice, and it felt very unpleasant - I had cracked a tooth, well two as it turned out and my dentist has done his best to mend them - and as one was a wisdom tooth, it was no small job! Sadly I have to go back again in a couple of weeks, to have the filling I should have had over 6 months ago, I really really hate going to the dentist with a passion. It goes back to a very bad experience I had at the dentist when I was only about 5 or 6 and it has blighted me ever since. I had a huge gap where I never want, and then found a dentist I liked so had a good run. Then it took us some time to find the right dentist once I moved to MK. Thankfully we have a super one now, but it still didn't make yesterday any easier. AND my broken teeth didn't hurt, whereas all the teeth on one side of my face are hurting on and off at the moment.!

Here is the latest information about what is happening at Friars - very much looking forward to it - of course for further details please go to www.aylesburyfriars.co.uk

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 8/16 - currently reading Lovers and Players by Jackie Collins
Jamie's Reading challenge 7/12 - currently reading Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Luceno (he keeps reading other things not on his list and changing his list but at least he's reading!!)
SLYMI - 1/52

Cricket!

I did a little bit of tidying up, but the house still seems to look like a bombsite, I will get to the bottom of it but most of today was cricket. As there are so few matches left now I am being very greedy and want to watch as much as I can as there will be no more Aussies for 4 years - except when they play here against Pakistan next year - but that doesn't count as it isn't the Ashes. Also found out one of the walking home from school Mums also likes her cricket and she too likes Brett Lee.

Today would have been my Mum's 85th birthday, so happy birthday Mum, or as we say where I'm from Happy Birthday Mam!

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 8/16 - currently reading Lovers and Players by Jackie Collins
Jamie's Reading challenge 5/12 - currently reading Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Luceno
SLYMI - 1/52

Tuesday 8th September

Jamie was up, dressed and ready for school before Mike and I were up - wonderful. Mike as I have hinted was busy with some of his Friars stuff today and it was a biggie, as I have hinted - he was meeting Steve Hackett from the original line-up of Genesis to present him with a Friars award and had a fantastic time interviewing him over lunch in Richmond, London. He was truly made up with meeting one of his all time heroes - a true giant in music - you can see it on his face! (I am not worthy!)

He then went on to take a few photos of a couple of railway stations and then he was stopped by the Police and questioned about his activities under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act! I always knew that hobby was going to get him into trouble, the policeman was very nice apparently and explained why he chatted to him. I am surprised it has taken this long for him to be stopped! It brought much merriment at school pick-up time today!

As for me well I had a very ordinary day, with all the usual bits and pieces to be done and I have managed to clear my desk too (well almost).

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 8/16 - currently reading Lovers and Players by Jackie Collins
Jamie's Reading challenge 5/12 - currently reading Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Luceno
SLYMI - 1/52

First Day in Year 5

Jamie had a good day today and that is all I can ask for - he enjoyed school and likes Mr Morris, he has some friends in his class, so all is looking good for Y5, fingers crossed. Here are a couple of pictures of him this morning, ready to go ......

Here is Jamie on his way to school, Binnie is peeking over his shoulder inside the house!

Today seemed to fly by and I only managed to get a fraction of what I wanted to get done done, but I will try again tomorrow! Managed to sort Jamie's trousers out so now he has some trousers which fit him.

Mike is ready for the off tomorrow, when he may have discussions about baby sheep reposing in the theatre district of New York and he may be introduced to the 11th Earl of Mar!! Answers on a postcard please!! I certainly will be very interested to hear how it all goes.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 8/16 - currently reading Lovers and Players by Jackie Collins
Jamie's Reading challenge 6/12 - currently reading Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Luceno
SLYMI - 1/52