Now where ...

... did I get to???

I'm still not doing well on returning to blogging but something is better than nothing, I guess.  Nearly a month of 2016 gone already.  Scary how quickly time passes.  Even scarier that I'll be 65 by the end of this month,  will have been 'retired' (shall we say finished with paid employment) for 10 years and have been a non-smoker for 11.

Nothing of any real consequence has happened this month, so far.  Not that I care to post publicly anyway, other than eldest grandson's marriage has failed (which I alluded to last post) and he's back living with his mum.  Great granddaughter turned 4 (she's so cute but very opinionated - lol!) and the youngest granddaughters will be 10 (another with strong opinions and a very enquiring mind ..... on absolutely everything!) and 14 before the month is over.  Cardmaking workshops have restarted following the Christmas break and I'm back to regular exercise class.

OK, time for some pictures.  I've done a mini trawl of photos taken last year.  Back in July a few of my now long time crafty friends joined me & Cally on a weekend to the Great British Craft Festival at Stoneleigh Park (The Midlands on the website).  Cally & I have been before, on our own, with Kim joining us for a short while in 2014.  Last year we made it a proper girlie weekend and we had a great time.  It's being repeated this year although unsure quite how many will be going as yet.

Waiting for the next workshop

Chalkboard .... (still not finished to this day)

Bring on the Powertex!

A few of the projects from workshops and make & takes ....

Powertex workshop

Hunkydory workshop (& following 2 pics)

Francoise Read make & take

Brusho make & take

Pinflair workshop

Hunkydory make & take

 Think that's all for now .... got an exercise class to get to *groan*

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A brand new year ....

... with family changes afoot.  Early days but we will be one less in a few months.  Not expected but quite welcome, I have to say, although circumstances could be 100% better.  What's the saying, last in first out? In this case it's right *grin*

Last year, apart from the health issues, was pretty much 'normal' - although some health issues, for us, seems to be pretty much 'normal as well *lol*.  No big holiday but the annual Crafter's House Party happened.  A week long now and this year we hired a hot tub for an added bit of luxury.  It was well used by some *LOL*

I took the opportunity of making a card for youngest son's birthday, which was the following month.

We even got our beauty therapist, Faye, making snowflakes

How dead is dead?  Seems even taking it back to the bare bones doesn't kill it.  It's still working like this some 6+ months on and no, it's not mine - *LOL*

It was the week of the baby swallows fledging so they kept some of us amused for a good while.  Plenty of comings and goings.

There was plenty of crafting done, laughter and general fun.  Looking forward to the next one now.

I continued with the fortnightly card workshop held by Clair and joined another one. Monthly this time and very different to Clair's but just as interesting. Vickie keeps us on our toes *wink* Unfortunately I failed badly in keeping my crafty spends to a minimum.  Must try harder on that one *grin*  I'll post some of the projects at some point.  Not all as a year's worth is a lot to catch up with but I'll select my faves to show. 

Still on the crafting ....
My mate Cally & I had our first foray to the 'Crafting at Ally Pally' craft show (formerly called the Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show).  It was good but not as big as we expected.  I guess, because we've heard a lot about it and we've been to some really big shows we expected similar ... but it wasn't.  Not sure we'd bother again. We only went this time because our friend, Kim had won tickets and couldn't use them.  It was an adventure *grin*.  We went by train and bus - *lol*  Still managed to spend quite well - *rofl* A stunning building.

A Mr Man? .... on the ceiling *lol*

Just one example of the amazing wall art.

A random photo taken from the bus as we were leaving.  Pointed the camera at the window and took a shot.  No idea what to expect but ...

.... once home and uploaded to laptop I zoomed in.  London skyline .... Shard and all!

 And yes, I am that sad *grin*

That's all for today.  I'll see what I can pull out of the 2015 archive another day -*LOL*

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Ooooops - Monday!

... nearly forgot :O

Been very busy this week working on a new photo book.  When I'm in the zone doing one of them I forget everything else around me!  I started it some while ago, I admit.  It's for a holiday that Jackie and I went on last April.  That's April 2013!   We went closer to home than normal and had 11 nights in Sorrento, Italy.  Beautiful place and, of course, full of history.  With Herculaneum and Pompeii on it's doorstep how could it not be?  Scenery?  Well Sorrento itself catered for that but then there was the Amalfi Drive.  Yep, I've been reliving it and the fun we had.  Anyway, book is now finished and I'm waiting for Jackie to confirm she's happy and then it'll be ordered when a good deal comes along.

Apart from that it's been a quiet week - well, ish.  Had the normal exercise class on Tuesday (my turn to make the tea - lol!) and Wednesday OH and I went shopping together.  Well, not quite true.  I went with OH and I did the shopping while he went to the optician.  He had the start of cataracts last year.  Seems they've got worse (he suspected they had, hence the visit) but they're not bad enough to be dealt with yet however he needs new long distance specs.  Think old age is catching up with him physically, even if not in how he looks.

The only thing of note that happened this week was a visit from somebody we'd not seen for around 15 years.  It was great to catch up and meet his new partner.  His wife died just after we last saw him and he's been with his new partner for around 10 years now.  We've had intermittent contact over the 15 years but no face to face.  They came down this way (they live in Co. Durham) for a holiday and it was the ideal time to play catch up.

Not too sure what's going on with my hair - lol!

Bit of a catch up.  Back in June I went on, what has become regular, a break away with a group of crafty friends.  Originally named Crafter's House Party, it's now called all sorts of things but mainly AM (for Appleby Magna where the break is held).  The first one was held as a jointly hosted, by me and Jak, 3 night House Party with invited friends.  It then became a 4 night one for the following 4 years, still by invitation.  This year it became a week and a great week was had by all.  I actually got out and saw the village close by the cottages.  Something I'd been promising myself for a while.  I've still not managed to get to the zoo but there's still time - lol!  I discovered very recently, that the National Arboretum, is within a short drive away so I'm planning on visiting there next year ... It remains to be seen if I get there.  Here's a rogues gallery and a few of the crafty makes ....

Back from L-R: Cathy, Trace, Debs, Greta, Kim, Jackie (with Archie over her shoulder ... don't ask!), Toni.
Front from L-R: Moi, Susan, Cally and Chris

Well, that's a quick catch up and a pretty much average week, with the exception of our visitors.  Just realising how much I could have blogged about in the desert that my blog became but mojo just wasn't there and it's a bit late to do details so long after the events ....

Oh yes, one thing that's happened - OH and I have booked a holiday for next year. We've booked to go back to Cyprus for our 30th (Pearl) wedding anniversary.  Bit of a step up from the Isle of Wight weekend we did for our Silver - lol!  We're going to stay at a brand new hotel that's only opening in June next year but it's a sister hotel to the one we stayed at when our eldest remarried in 2011.  This time we'll be staying in Paphos instead of Agia Napa and we're going to hire a car so that OH can get out and about and see a bit of the country.  Driving seems relatively easy - they drive on the sensible side of the road - lol!  Something to look forward to.

Think that's all for this week .....

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Photos today ...

... from the weekend in Cardiff :)  An excuse to stop 'working'.  I'm packing boxes still.  Well, packed really.  Just got to access some electrics to disconnect the wall unit and 'tis all ready.  I've heard from one of the Americans several times over my bow.  Even an estimated shipping cost of £50 ($80) hasn't put him off and he says he's going to bid and hope he wins .... "it is a beautiful bow" (his words, not mine).  Hope he bids well enough to prove that - or at least that others bid as well and it gets bid up.  He knows what it is ... hope other's do to.  Anyway, on to the photos - a small selection but WARNING .... PICTURE HEAVY - LOL!

The first few need no explanation .... but just in case -

 ... and after Dr Who?

Norwegian Church - and arts centre

Merchant Seaman's War Memorial

Pierhead Building - National Assembly of Wales 

Torchwood entrance (yay!) and the Millennium Centre

The mad women

The view from Kim's front garden ... beautiful!  A stunning area to live.

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