Happy Blog Day!

Last Week's Winning Caption!

B.T.Bear (esq.) said...

"That cat said he'd bought me a hedgehog burger but I think I've been done."

This Week's Photograph

Any ideas for a suitable caption?

Please leave any thoughts in the comments section!

BlogDay2007

Today is Blog Day.
It's not a tagging exercise, just bringing some blogs to your attention.

The ABC Wednesday has certainly introduced us all to new people,
have you noticed with Blogging,
you find yourself meeting a host of exciting, creative, technical people?

So the 5 blogs I am going to list are....

Ali

A great everyday, exciting creative blog.

David

A blog to start the day with!
ie a guaranteed smile!

Shrink-wrapped Scream

A wonderful blog full of humour and rich dialogue!


Kissing the Dogwood

Inspirational and Creative

Ruth

A paradise for any garden knowledge and inspiration!



Thanks Ruth too, for this.




I will share this with my blogging friends......check your e-mails!
I want to share it with everybody here!


Phew! A long post today,
very technically challenging for a blonde with a sore finger!

Back to my DIY project....still on with the preparation!

I managed to get out with my camera yesterday and have a lovely new photo for my header.
I have decided to have a new one for each month....and tomorrow is September!

Where does time go eh?
Just shows how much fun we have here!

Have a good weekend!

In the hopes of reaching the moon,
men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.

Albert Schweitzer

My finger isn't broken, it is a possible fracture and I have to go back to the fracture clininc at Whitby hospital next Wednesday.

It is uncomfortable but I keep bending and flexing it, in an effort to make sure it is used as normal.

I may have to have physiotherapy, we'll just have to see.

It was quite strange how it happened, I was simply playing with Wilma on the beach. I grabbed her stick, but the beach was uneven and I caught my finger against the ground slightly quicker than I anticipated!

Yesterday was another great ABC Wednesday! I will add the new names to the blogroll and certainly have a good look at all of the "F's"

It is quite funny really, even now I am thinking of "G" for next week!

Today the weather looks quite settled, could rain later but we'll see.

I was talking to Jon about the heather, we both reckon this week is the best week to capture the heather at it's best, so at some point I will drive over the moors and take some more photos.

Jon is busy at work and I will be carrying on with my stairs!

However, I have some catching up to do.

My middle name meme!

Yes, a long one as my middle name is Elizabeth...here goes.

The Rules, as shared by avcr8teur

The 1st rule is fixed... for each letter of your middle name, list a fact or statement relevant to yourself or your life. So the longer your middle name, the more facts we'll have about you.
If you don't have a middle name, pick one.



The 2nd rule is anything you want so here's mine...

The first person who does their own middle name meme on their blog
will receive , via e-mail a photo of the heather.

OK...here's mine

Elizabeth was my nana's name, but she went by the name of Dolly.
We named our middle goose Dolly, she is the subjest of the painting I did and which I use for my avator.

Likes.......Family, friends and fun!

I Ireland is one of my favourite holiday destinations. I would love to go again.

Z is for Zoos, which I do not like.

A is for Auntie. I had 2 aunties, my mum's sisters, both sadly dead now.
Auntie Dot was very similar to mum. They were often mistaken for each other. Auntie Joan often got her words mistaken which was a great source of amusement.
I remember her once talking about some neighbours who had won some money.
"They aren't moving..they are just having a suzuki fitted in the bathroom!"
We laughed!

B is for Bike!
Biking is what Jon and I do together, it is great to have a hobby we both share and enjoy!
We try to keep Sundays free, but work often steps in.
We dont mind the rain, preferably on the way home rather than setting out in it.
I feel safe with Jon at the controls. He was an instructor and examiner in his younger days.

E is for Eston.
A small mining town I grew up in.
Sadly the terraced houses were demolished for re-development.
A great shame.

T is for teacher.
As I taught for over 25 years there are many grown-ups now who still remember me as their teacher and still speak to me when they see me.
My oldest nephew has just left college.
One of his class mates was a former pupi; of mine.
Ben asked him what I was like as a teacher, to which Joey replied "Mrs Nesbitt was a legend!"
I was touched!

H is for Health!

I recently received a letter from our doctor
congratulating me on my low cholesterol score of 2.6.
I also have low blood pressure and good bone density.
I am now just awaiting results from a routine mammogram.

Did you know tomorrow is......

ABC Wednesday...."F"

F is for........
Farewell

(Newcastle port in the distance as we leave for 2005 holiday!)

Ferry!

(Refletion in building as we pull into Ijmuden)

Family & Friends!

We arrive with our friends after 3 days biking across Netherlands, Belguim & France
Family Birthday!

Figs!

Picked fresh from the garden for breakfast!

Faffing about with maps!

Checking directions!

Food!

Fantastic sight after biking for 300 miles in one day!

Feline company!

Our holiday cottage, at Tracy & Ray's.

Fruit!

Love the sheer pleasure Ryan shows for his fruit!

Freerange chickens!

A rescued battery hen enjoying it's Freedom!

Farewell!

Time to say Goodbye!
First day back to school for the children.
(Notice proud mum in the background!)
LOL!

Fireblade!

Locked up safe for the night,
directly under our bedroom window!

Fireblade!

We stop for lunch
!

Farewell France,

The border, approaching Belguim!

Ferry!

Casting off!

Fireblade!

Photo taken by people we met on Ferry, from their car!

Finger!

Doesn't look normal!
Damaged it yesterday when out with Wilma on the beach...

Trip to Whitby Hospital soon!

Watch this space!

Feast your eyes dear readers......feast your eyes!

Photo of the Day
26.08.07
Saltburn Pier







“Since light travels faster than sound,
people apier bright until you hear them speak.”

LOL!

Late Sunday night here, just letting you know what we have been up to!


Friday, took Wilma to beach for a full session!

Returned home and continued with my DIY project....
the stairs.
No pics just yet, I want to surprise you.
However it got me thinking about another masterpiece.....

The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512,
is one of the most renowned artworks of the High Renaissance.
The ceiling is that of the large Sistine Chapel built within the Vatican by Pope Sixtus IV, begun in 1477 and finished by 1480.

Hmmmmmmmm 3 years eh?

Jon meanwhile............can usually be found on the top of a ladder.....

..constructing a roof on an outbuilding!

Progress!

As seen from the landing window!


Jon worked tirelessly Friday and Saturday on the roof.
Sunday, we managed to grab the afternoon and headed for the Moors.....
because NOW is such a lovely time there.

I promised you Heather......

We had a great afternoon out with friends.
Tomorrow we are planning on another Biking Adventure, so watch this space.

We have both been sooooobusy.
As I write this I can feel my eyes shouting for some sleep!

I have things to catch up on, which I will do soon.
I need to pass on the creative blogger award I received from Libby,
and there is also the matter of the middle name meme.
yes I am thinking this through,
being on the back of a motorbike is an ideal opportunity.
Trouble is, my middle name is Elizabeth! LOL!

Sleep beckons!

Sleep

Sleep, sleep,
Come my way.
Let me sleep,
So I can start a new day.

Sleep, sleep,
I take my pill.
My mind won't sleep,
Too active with chills.

Sleep, sleep,
Show me how.
What's that, sleep,
How now brown cow?

Sleep, sleep,
My brain is delirious.
Stop playing tricks, sleep,
You're making me furious.

Leigh Ladd

Friday, a winner and a brush off!

LAST WEEK'S FUNNY CAPTION COMPETITION & WINNER

GO! Smell the flowers said...

'Now then, no paparazzi in this village, move on, nothing to see,

Go on - trot off'

Well done, GSTF! A real pearler!
Please let me have your e-mail and I will send you your winning badge!


This week's Photograph!

Just leave your comment in the usual place!


Well the Bank Holiday weekend is here and that means one thing...no not a new settee!
I am continuing my DIY project and Jon is working on his building programme.

The weather forecast is optimistic, but we'll wait and see what materializes.
Hopefully we will get out on the motorbike.
I noticed the heather is in bloom on the moors ,
so I would dearly love to take some photographs, we'll just have to see.

Have a Good Weekend.

"Passion holds up the bottom of the universe
and genius paints up its roof"


Chao Chang

Nephew 2, my godson with his favourite auntie!

It is results day!
Andrew will get his GCSE's!
Will be back later!

I have the press round, taking my photo & interviewing me!

Need to get ready darlings!

ABC WEDNESDAY.......E!

E is for.........

Elsie

I don't often feature Elsie, our other German Shepherd,
she spends her days with Jon at the workshop.
She is infact the works dog.
She came into our lives last December, when Max,
my faithful boy died at the wonderful age of 15.

Some Basic Dog Rules, written by a Dog ofcourse!

Newspapers: If you have to go to the bathroom while playing in the front yard, always use the newspaper that's placed in the driveway every morning for that purpose.

Visitors: Quickly determine which guest is afraid of dogs. Charge across the room, barking loudly and leap playfully on this person. If the human falls down on the floor and starts crying, lick its face and growl gently to show your concern.

Barking: Because you are a dog, you are expected to bark. So bark--a lot. Your owners will be very happy to hear you protecting their house. Especially late at night while they are sleeping safely in their beds. There is no more secure feeling for a human than to keep waking up in the middle of the night and hearing your protective bark, bark, bark...

Licking: Always take a big drink from your water dish immediately before licking your human. Humans prefer clean tongues. Be ready to fetch your human a towel.

Holes: Rather than digging a big hole in the middle of the yard and upsetting your human, dig a lot of smaller holes all over the yard so they won't notice. If you arrange a little pile of dirt on one side of each hole, maybe they'll think it's gophers. There are never enough holes in the ground. Strive daily to do your part to help correct this problem.

Doors: The area directly in front of a door is always reserved for the family dog to sleep.

The Art of Sniffing: Humans like to be sniffed. Everywhere. It is your duty, as the family dog, to accommodate them.

Dining Etiquette: Always sit under the table at dinner, especially when there are guests, so you can clean up any food that falls on the floor. It's also a good time to practice your sniffing.

Housebreaking: Housebreaking is very important to humans, so break as much of the house as possible.

Going for Walks: Rules of the road: When out for a walk with your master or mistress, never go to the bathroom on your own lawn.

Couches: It is perfectly permissible to lie on the new couch after all your humans have gone to bed.

Playing: If you lose your footing while chasing a ball or stick, use the flower bed to absorb your fall so you don't injure yourself.

Chasing Cats: When chasing cats, make sure you never--quite--catch them. It spoils all the fun.

Chewing: Make a contribution to the fashion industry...Eat a shoe.

Ella

We acquired Ella many years ago from our local animal rescue centre.
Jon chose her and indeed named her after Ella Fitzgerald,
because she was little and black!

I love this photograph as the black and white of Ella is a perfect contrast to the pink of the cherry blossom tree in our front garden.

Some Basic Cat Rules!
All Rules can be broken when you feel like it.
Don't worry about vet bills, someone else will pay.
Know where the sock drawer is for those catnaps.
Help with jigsaw puzzles.
Sniff every stranger.
Be astonishingly mysterious.
When in doubt, chase something.
Don't play in plastic bags.
Ignore your mistakes.
When in doubt, let your tail do the talking.
Never sleep alone.
Curtains are for climbing only.
All chairs belong to the cat of the house.
Baths are for Dogs!
Feeding time is when YOU want to be fed.
Go absolutely berserk for no apparent reason.
Scratching humans and furniture is a no-no.
Try to keep that mouse alive for your human.
Make the world your playground.
Whenever you miss the sandbox, cover it up. Dragging a sock over it helps.
If you can't get your way, lay across the keyboard till you do.
When you are hungry, meow loudly so they feed you just to shut you up.
Always find a good patch of sun to nap in.
Nap often.
When in trouble, just purr and look cute.
Life is hard, and then you nap.
Curiosity never killed anything except maybe a few hours.
When in doubt, cop an attitude.
Variety is the spice of life. One day, ignore people; the next day, annoy them.
Climb your way to the top, that's why the curtains are there.
Make your mark in the world, or at least spray in each corner.
Always give generously; a bird or rodent left on the bed tells them, "I care".

"I think I could turn and live with animals,
they are so placid and self-contained,
I stand and look at them long and long."

- Walt Whitman

Coming soon the video "Watching Paint Dry!"

Photo of the Day
21.08.07
The Kitchen Door Frame under the influence of paint stripper, first thing this morning!

and after!




When Father Papered the Parlour
R. P. Weston, 1878-1936

Our parlor wanted papering,
And Pa says it was waste
To call a paperhanger in,
And so he made some paste.
He bought some rolls of paper,
Got a ladder and a brush
And with my mummy's nightgown on,
At it he made a rush.

Chorus:


When, Father papered the parlour,
You couldn't see him for paste
Dabbing it here! dabbing it there!
Paste and paper everywhere
Mother was stuck to the ceiling
The children stuck to the floor
I never knew a blooming family
So 'stuck up' before.


I love this song, we sing it in school.
I couldn't find a version anywhere....so here is your very own Mrs Nesbitt!
Notice the view out of the study window!
Ideal for my DIY project!

Today I am working on the Kitchen doorframe!

As the wood is stripped I must admit the thought of painting it is becoming less appealing!

View from the landing!

The woodgrain is so lovely!
I just love the sander I bought yesterday!

I think again, this wood is too nice to cover!


So, a short post today as I am keen to get on with my DIY!
The end result will be worth it I am sure!

Guess this famous land mark...no not the lampost!

Photo of the Day
Blackpool Tower
April 2007

Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky Stormy weather.
Billie Holiday



Rain stopped Play!
Exactly!
The Bike Adventure yesterday did not happen!

Normally we are not deterred by the weather,
we have all the necessary bike gear,
but it isn't so bad coming home in the rain,
but riding ALL DAY in the rain isn't so good....
so we didn't get the bike out.

Instead we went for a drive in the pick-up over to a large shopping complex.
Jon was in his element, he bought some new toys.
A hedge trimmer, an electric document shredder, a circular saw, a compass!
I bought an electric sander!

So today I will press on with my preparation for the re-decoration project!

We had an early start as I was interviewed for our local radio station.
It was all to do with my new business venture which you can read about here
I would welcome any help ideas with the blog link.
It is Typepad which I am struggling with.

I am now going to spend some long-awaited time to catch up and share some of the generosity.



Thankyou so much Blue, Gemma, Libby, Sheila



I am sharing this with all my friends...
check your e-mails!




Thank you so much Kissing the Dogwood,



I do get inspired by so many of the blogs I read.


Claire

We all have days where things just don't go our way and we feel a bit low.....

Some months ago Claire suffered a stroke.
Her journey back from such a dark occasion is a true inspiration!

Sue

Things haven't turned out as Sue expected.
I am so glad we can speak on the phone.
Well Done that Woman! You are loved and cherished!

Violette

A creative inspiration is an understatement!


Kai

A lovely lass!
(She will like that phrase!......well with family in Yorkshire!)


Gill
I don't visit as much as I should, but I hold you close and dear!
Do take the time to visit her blog, I love her new addition!



Thankyou so much Ross and Violette




They awarded me this....but I am awarding it in a different form






to......


David

A guy who really thinks of others.
Sometimes I think people get too inward thinking with their blogs.
I love the fact we are all part of a community.
I was touched to receive David's Post of the Day award last week,
so post this with pride David!

Mike

A biker, so what can I say.
There is something about being part of the biking community.
Jon introduced me to biking when we were married.
He has been a biker since the age of 15!
He was an instructor & an examiner.
I so much enjoy being out on the bike and meeting other fellow bikers.
Who knows Mike, we may meet up at the IOM TT next year!
I hope so, we can all join in Jon's 50th celebrations!
WOW! What a time will be had by all!

Hin

An active member of the Wednesday ABC Photograph gang.
Again, somebody who goes out of his way to help other bloggers!
Thanks Hin!

NICK

Nick does a fantastic job at our local Hospital Radio where he has his own show on a Saturday.
If you check out his blog you will be able to listen to his podcasts.
I know there is one of me as I am often a guest on Nick's show.
I am also starting a monthly Environmental feature on Nick's show!
Nick....great stuff!

Pete Miller

I love this blog!
So looking forward to Pete Joining our ABC Wednesday!

Good to see the chap's doing their stuff!



So...another week commences here in Blogland!

having a look round some of my favourite blogs I must admit
David's question really got me thinking!

My answer would have to be...
"Does that mean you want your toy matchbox ambulance back then?
and it would have been said to Steven Jackson.
My first boyfriend.
He gave me his Matchbox Ambulance on the condition I sat with him in class.
We went to the school disco together...we won the dancing competition.
I was 9, he was 10.
He looked like Paul McCartney!

Many many years later I bumped into him on a bus.
I was about 19.
He was handsome as ever! (swoon!)
He asked me if I still had the ambulance!

I am eagerly awaiting Ali's next installment, tomorrow.
I love reading about such adventures in our lives.

Have a Good Day!

D