I'm excited ...

... but need to calm down otherwise I'll be a gibbering wreck.  The reason for the excitement?  I booked a holiday yesterday but it's not going to be until October 2015 (hence, if I don't calm down I'll be a gibbering wreck).  It's to celebrate mine and OH's Pearl (30th) wedding anniversary.  We'd thought seriously about a cruise from Southampton, across the pond and up the Eastern Seaboard of the good ol' US of A.  He's always wanted to go to New York.  Personally the States have never appealed to me with the exception of seeing the fall colours in New England and I think the cruise is timed to coincide with that.  It calls at NY, Boston, Halifax and so on then back to Southampton.   I'd accept that, as most of the time you'd be on the ship - it's a 3 week cruise - but, on reflection, although it appeals to both of us in one way or another I wondered just how much OH would get out of it.  He'd be fine on board but I don't think he'd get much out of the shore visits.  He can't get on coaches (being a wheelie is a real pain sometimes) so organised trips from the ship wouldn't work for him although I guess we could get a car/cab and have local drivers take us round ... at a cost.  There wouldn't be much, if any, change out of £10k.  Anyway, a couple of weeks ago we had a mailing from the hotel group we stayed with for eldest's wedding in Cyprus back in 2011.  They're opening a brand new hotel, on the same lines as the Agia Napa hotel but this one's in Paphos.  I visited Paphos briefly and liked it.  It's a different part of the island so opens up more trips out so, on the spur of the moment yesterday, we decided to book 11 nights there and the deed was done.  We're, or rather I, am going to hire a car as driving is easy there and it works out cheaper to hire a car for the duration than to pay for return transfers from airport and I can get OH out to see some of what he missed because of not going out while there before.  We can sort excursions, maps and guides out before we go *big grin*  EXCITED!

Bit of catch up on the personal front. Our beautiful eldest granddaughter qualified as a Beauty Therapist in July. I'd helped out by being a guinea pig for her end of year assessments for facials, manicures and pedicures. I left the waxing for her Mum's enjoyment - ROFL! She's got herself a part time job in a salon and is earning a bit extra by doing treatments privately. She's back at college in September - she's going for her NVQ level 3 which encompasses, amongst other things epilation, facial and body electrotherapy treatments and massage. I'm waiting *big grin*  When she's let loose on the public I'll be a willing guinea pig.  She's also passed her theory driving test and now has her practical to look forward to.  Life seems good for her at the moment.

Graduation

Diploma proper

The past week has seen me at exercise class - yep, I go to a weekly exercise class and have been for over a year now. I'm hoping that with that and the weight loss my lung capacity may improve.  If not improve, delay the problem getting any worse. At least I'll have tried. Shopping delivery was had, along with other boring, mundane, run of the mill daily 'stuff' and a very enjoyable Saturday with eldest and our daughter-in-law and her parents - barbecuing!  Bang went any weight loss this week, or so I thought but .... another 1½lb off so I'm very happy - LOL!

There's been a mini change on the blog - an updated photo - lol!  Thought the other was getting a tad out of date.  The new one was taken the weekend of the Great British Craft Festival 2014 so it's just a week old *grin*  Cally, Kim and myself all visited.  Cally and myself for the whole weekend, including the Friday workshops and Kim for the workshops and a brief visit to the show on Saturday morning.  That was when this photo was taken ... at Kim's encouragement, only for us to realise, too late, that she'd stepped back so wasn't in it! Thanks Kim but it would have been a lot better had you been in it as well *grin*

Workshops were interesting - 

3 cards in a HunkyDory one, hosted by Rebecca Seddon.  2 I made but one is still to be put together ...

Still to be embellished ...

2nd workshop was with Mel Heaton.  A frame decorated with flowers and every flower started out as a circle.  This was our favourite workshop of the day.  I think I may just take the back off and use on a card, with a greeting in the middle.

3rd workshop was with Ali Reeve from Clevercut/Stamps Away.  We guessed this one could be messy, just by who was running it as Cally and I had been on her very first workshop so, I took some gloves with me.  We were right, but it was fun *grin*  

Wooden frame, painted, mica'd and the small canvas design done in string, covered in foil and then painted etc. (There's a granddaughter's 18th birthday next month)

The final workshop of the day, hosted by The Dreamees - Carol and Hayley Bignall - and our least favourite although the finished product is quite cute.  Template, already printed and cut for us so we just had to put together and make oval spiral flowers.  Not sure what I'm going to be doing with it.

Looking forward to next year now and thinking we might have some more friends for company next time - LOL!

Thanks for dropping by .....

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