OUCH!

Rocks by the Beach
25.03.08

The rocks and cliffs which have been a source of inspiration and invigoration dealt me a nasty and painful blow!
Whilst out walking with Wilma I slipped and fell oer, banging the back of my head in the process.
I became stuck amonst the sharp rocks and in pulling myself free have badly grazed my stomach.
Due to Easter Holidays I have not been able to get an appointment at our surgery.
Hopefully this will be rectified in about 30 minutes when I contact the surgery.

Watch this space!

Monday's Odd Shot!

For more Monday odd shots visit Katney's Blog!



Here is mine.....Wilma! who else.
She was sitting next to me and I had my camera handy!

A Dog's Best Friend

O Lord, don't let me once forget,
How I love my trusty pet -
Help me learn to disregard
canine craters in my yard.
Show me how to be a buddy
even when my sofa's muddy.
Don't allow my pooch to munch
postal carriers for lunch.
Shield my neighbor's cat from view,
guide my steps around the doo.
Train me not to curse and scowl
when it's puppy's night to howl.
Grant I shan't awake in fear
with a cold nose in my ear.
Give me patience without end -
Help me be "A DOG'S BEST FRIEND."

-Author Unknown

A Good Time Was Had By All

The Birthday Lady with Sisier in Law

Moi & Jon

Godson & His pal

Sister in Law Maureen & her partner Steve!

Later on, still Saturday!

Photo of the Day
22.03.08
Jo, 5pm tonight.

SOMETHING TOLD THE WILD GEESE

By Rachel Field

Something told the wild geese

It was time to go,

Though the fields lay golden

Something whispered, "snow."

Leaves were green and stirring,

Berries, luster-glossed,

But beneath warm feathers

Something cautioned, "frost."

All the sagging orchards

Steamed with amber spices,

But each wild breast stiffened

At remembered ice.

Something told the wild geese

It was time to fly,

Summer sun was on their wings,

Winter in their cry.

As you can see, we had snow this afternoon.
I was putting Jo to bed and thought he looked beautiful.


Have a good night!

Saturday, Photohunt.

Metal

Being married to a precision engineer, various metal components are often around our house.
I thought about one particular piece I know some of you who do ABC will remember.
Some weeks ago my washing machine broke down.
After a thorough investigation, hubby discovered that a bracket had snapped,
so he made another one at his workshop.
He fitted it and the machine was able to deal with the washing.

A couple of weeks later the washing machine broke down again.
The new bracket had snapped!
So it was back to the workshop to find a more durable material.

Here is the replacement.
Material - Plastic!
Can you guess what the original use was for the plastic?
A Hip Joint! LOL!
Indeed. Hubby does lots of research and development work.
Some months ago he had to make an artificial hip!

Being self-employed he has to work whenever. This means at the moment he has worked yesterday(Good Friday) and is working today.
As the weather forecast is poor and snow is on its way from our friends in Norway (thanks so much) it isn't a problem.
Of all the times for us to run out of central heating oil this was a bad time.
We do not have mains gas in our village, just electricity.
In the Doomsday book our village is described as a 'windy little hamlet' so we are infact going to look into wind powered turbine/generator.
We are in a conservation area so no doubt there will be lots of red tape....watch this space!
However this morning my heart leapt when I saw the oil tanker pull up outside the house.
I wasn't expecting a delivery until Tuesday so this was a wonderful sight.
I love surprises like that!

We are having a Family get together tonight.
My Mother-in Law's birthday.
We are all going out for dinner, so this should be fun.

Happy Birthday Mrs Nesbitt! LOL!



I am very fortunate in having a great Mother in Law. She has never tried to replace my mum whom I miss so much. AS is often the case in many marriages, I am the one who deals with family occasions, ie the card and present. For many years I would get upset when looking at cards for 'Mother' as I would think of my own mum. Now I design my own cards I can make a card which is appropriate for us all. Hence the card I made for Mavis is for a Mam, Mother in Law and friend. Jon has always referred to her as 'Mam' so again it was appropriate to use the word. I specifically used capital letter for 'Mam' and 'Friend' and a lower case for 'mother in law' just artisitic I guess.
I hope she will like it, I am sure she will!



Saturday PhotoHunt is hosted by TNChick - visit her to find more participants and to join in the fun.

Skywatch Friday..nearly at a Price!

A Photo a Day
21.03.08
Morning Walk a Couple of Days Ago

"Someone with his head in the clouds is seeing clouds, rather than what's going on way down here on earth.
If his head is in the clouds, he is way too distracted to know what's going on. He is in a rarefied and remote atmosphere."

Do you like my skywatch Friday photograph?
It didn't come easily or without a drama!

On Wednesday Wilma and I were out walking on the beach.
Throwing and fetching the ball, the usual stuff! Then I let Wilma have a go! LOL!

I was concentrating on the sky, deciding where was the best place to be to capture the angry sky!

I was standing on the rocks in view above.
They lie beween the beach and the sea.

I was suddenly aware of Wilma's stance!

What was she looking at?

She had dropped her ball down between the rocks.

The wind was building up and the sea was crashing against the rocks.
I put my camera into my pocket and had to lay on the rocks, roll my sleeve up and reach down into the icy water and rescue the ball.

Now I am only 5'2'' tall, so I was quite some time!

When I had the ball I turned to see the sea crashing over the rocks,into our path back to the beach!
We only had a few moments to scramble off the rocks and head back to the car!

Drama at Sea!

The Sea is unpedictable!
One of my favourite poems came to mind.
I remember reading this at school.

The Sea by James Reeves The sea is a hungry dog, Giant and grey. He rolls on the beach all day. With his clashing teeth ans shaggy jaws Hours upon hour he gnaws The rumnlin, tumbling stones, And ‘Bones, bones, bones, bones!’ The gaint sea-dog moans, Licking his greasy paws. And when the nigh wind roars And the moon rocks in the stormy cloud, He bound to his feet and snuffs and sniffs, Shaking his wet side over the cliffs, And howls and hollos long and loud. But on auite days in May or June, When even the grasses on the dune Play no more their reedy tune, With his head between his paws He likes on the sandy shores, So quiet, so quiet, he scarely snores.

The Oil Painting of the Storm on the Sea of Galilee seems so appropriate to, on this Easter Friday.
You can read more about it here

Later that night as I was looking out of the window the calm sunset did not give away any signs of drama....what a day!

Happy Easter!

For more Skywatch Friday Pictures visit Tom at Wigger's World

RAIN STOPS PLAY!

Photo of the Day
20.03.08
View from the window

Yes, raining and it is cold!
At least I have a very short reminder of our walk yesterday!

Yes, very short...I had the camera on the wrong setting.
I didn't delete it as I thought it was a nice glimpse of Wilma in her element!

The weather is particularly cold because we have ran out of heating oil.
Living where we do, we have no mains gas, so our central heating is powered by oil fired central heating boiler and a solid fuel Aga, which is housed in the kitchen.

When we have moments like today we have a portable electric heater.
It is just a case of dressing warm and working out what I need to do and where I can do it.

The kitchen is the warmest room so it would be sensible to spend time there, I may cook or bake!

My day was brightened when I saw this...

I received a Post of the Day award from David!
Thanks David...it brought a ray of sunshine to my cloudy day!
(cue for a song!)

Well I was thinking about a song for the day and went down memory lane.
One of my all time favourite groups is/was Roxy Music.
Bryan Ferry is just soooooooooooooooo cool!
He was born in Newcastle and went to the same school as somebody I once worked with.
She was a deputy head....later to become a Headteacher.
She dressed in crocheted waistcoats and always wore thick woolly tights, brougues and tartan skirt...........I use to giggle as I imagined her sitting next to Bryan Ferry in school!
LOL!
Now there's a picture! LOL!

A definate better start to the day!

ABC Wednesday! ....I is for....

Welcome to ABC Wednesday!

How to participate in ABC Wednesday.

1. Post your I picture on your blog.

2. Come to my blog and sign in on Mr. Linky

3. Enjoy the beautiful I pictures of the other bloggers.

There is a new Mr. Linky each week so you always have to sign up on the current one.
Please do not sign your name on Mr. Linky unless you have an I picture posted on your blog

Please leave a comment here and a link back to this blog.

Also, please vote in my poll...at the top of the sidebar! Thank You

We reached 80+ participants last week, so please be assured we will do our best to visit each blog, not necessarily on Wednesday, but it would help if you did leave a comment here

I is for.........

INVITATION 1.



Come into my kitchen.....dinner is served.

Every Saturday night I cook a special meal for Jon & I. I love white linen & simple flowers.
This was the only flower remaining from a bunch I bought to brighten up the house.
If I could have 2 luxuries they would be fresh flowers every day and fresh bed linen too.

Melon marrinated in a crisp white savaignon blanc!

Salmon cooked in Rocket Salad Leaves! I ADORE Rocket!

I made this recipe....
simply place a good handful of rocket salad leaves into the casserole dish. Place salmon fillet on top, cover with more Rocket leaves.

After 10 minutes turn over the fillet and add more salad leaves. Cook for further 5 minutes

Serve with New Potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables. Oh and plenty of ice cold savaignon blanc!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

No deserts.....we don't do deserts on a Saturday....I am on a diet remember!
BUT if I did indulge it would be a selection of cheese and biscuits.

I am passionate about food. I love the whole art of the meal. The table, flowers, presentation. Love it.


I is for Invitation 2


This is my latest commission!

What do you think?

Enlarged to show the detail of the crystal butterfly.

The completed calligraphy one.....the bride chose 4 hearts.

I have to say I absolutely ADORED designing the butterfly commission.
I LOVE the boundaries I can push just to get the one design which made the bride cry in awe.

The calligraphy one was straight forward calligraphy. The colour chosen to match the dresses of the bridesmaids. I am passionate about handwriting too. As a child I would pracitse writing for hours on end., inventing and creating my own calligraphy styles.I guess being an arty type of person I am so passionate about art in most forms.

One of the wonderful joys of teaching young children is the various forms and mediums we can introduce them to.

Teaching is 99% passion & enthusiasm 1% knowledge, just my thoughts.

Predominantly I have taught in under-privileged schools. My main subject was always Art.

I had a mission to introduce the children to art and it's visions, often they did not have the experience at home.

When I taught in the city centre of Nottingham in a very socially disadvantaged school I often would take the children to the National Gallery in London, on a Saturday.



On one occasion, following on from a study of the impressionist movement we were queueing outside the Gallery in London.

I was standing with my charges, about 8 in all.

One member of the public standing just in front of us turned round, looked at the small children and "Tutted" loudly with an air of disgust and disdain.

One of my pupils picked this gesture up and said,

"Shouldn't we be here Miss?"

I had to fight the disgust rising in my stomach as I replied, in a somewhat raised tone....

"Ian, ( I remember his name to this day) this gallery belongs to the nation, particularly young people like you!

The lady in question looked right at me and tutted again.

I held her stare.....for quite a while, probably longer than necessary.



We filed into the gallery.

We were looking at one of Van Gogh's paintings, when the same Ian stated in a confident , resounding tone..

"You know Miss, you can tell this was one of Van Gough's early paintings!"

"Why is that Ian?" I replied.

"Well Miss, look at the dark colours. These were the colours he used before his brother Theo introduced him to the brighter colours which greatly influenced his works!"

"Well Done Ian!" I replied. (Tears of pride were welling in my eyes at the time, but I composed myself, and guiding my charges out of the room, I turned to see the member of the public who had behaved in such a disgraceful manner earlier. She was standing transfixed at what she had just overheard....

As I passed her, I once again nailed her with one of my stares and said "You tell me these children shouldn't be here now!

She looked away and bowed her head as I led my wonderful group of pupils into the next room!

My head held high with pride and emotion.

I strive to give to others a sense of sacredness,

because an art event is not just a formal fact but also a momentwhere you put a mark on your dedication.

You must have a feeling of joining a tribe where there is the stick of command, because you are in a sacred place with its rules.

Enzo Cucchi

Weather! Who'd have it?

Photo of the Day

18.03.08

Front Garden, few minutes ago

Weather


Horrible Weather
Staying in bed weather
Cuddling up close weather
Ignoring the world weather

Alison Smith

This poem sums it up really!

Even I can't find anything to add! LOL!

Something New!

Monday's Odd Shots!

 

Katney is hosting this new idea, well when I say new, it is new to me.
I think the idea is to find pictures which are quirky, the type which make us laugh or bring a smile to our face.

Last week, as part of one of our walks I took some photographs of Wilma.
When I look at my photographs I would say 90% of them are of Wilma.
She is just soooooooooooo photogenic!

The photograph above made me laugh, as it looked as though she was dancing!

I could do with a smile today as I had to cancel a radio appearance with our local BBC Radio Tees.

I do not like letting people down and do not feel good about it!
I awoke this morning to a light dusting of snow, followed by a hail storm.

My car does not cope with these coditions.
In 2000 I had an dreadful car accident and whilst I walked away unhurt, the car was a write off. The accident left its mark however. I lost my bottle.
Because we live in such a rural area we suffer the effects of sudden weather changes.
One minute it may be glorious , the next snow!

The roads are remote too, and bleak.
Travelling along the A171, the moor road is particularly dangerous as the snow can drift from the moors onto the road in a matter of seconds...infact as I have written this I can hear the hailstones again.

I know I have made the correct decision, but nevertheless I still feel as though I have let Alex Hall down. I really hope she understands.

It is St. Patrick's Day.
In 2006 Jon and I went to Ireland on the motorbike.
We had a ball!
I was the only woman with 13 bikers!
Yes, tough but somebody has to do it!
Strangely enough, as this Wednesdays ABC approaches it is I, last time round I chose I for Ireland, you can read about it here


To celebrate St. Patrick's Day I am cooking Irish Stew for dinner!





Enjoy the day!
A few more pictures of Wilma! LOL!

 

 

 

A Full weekend and a surprise decision!

Photo of the Day

16.03.08

Wilma, yesterday, Skinningrove Beach!

"Dogs are better than children.Even my friends with children say that.

As a dog friend of mine likes to say, children are for people who can't have dogs."

I laughed when I read the quote above. Not sure who said it but it is funny!

Yes, another visit to the beach with Wilma and to add a point of interest into our time there I played hunt the ball! As you can see, Wilma eventually clawed her way up the base of the cliffs to retrieve the ball. We spent a very active 40 minutes in all and Wilma slept for the best part of the afternoon.

For dinner on Saturday I cooked salmon fillets.....more of that on Wednesday!

Today, Sunday we decided to go out for a bike ride.

We were heading towards the Lakes kind of direction but after about 9 miles it became quite obvious we were heading in the wrong direction as the sky looked really dark ahead.

We turned round and went to Whitby!

We had a short break and as Jon was eating his soup I read one of the motorbike newspapers which was in the cafe. I commented that the Moto GP Assen Round takes place on my birthday weekend.."Do you fancy going? Jon said!

Well, I can tell you once the thought was put into my tiny brain my mind went into overdrive. We love going to Holland as we travel on the overnight ferry from Newcastle, only about one hour's ride from our house. So I did have a good think!

Here you can see the rain on the bike!

We went home, but first we went to the fishmongers, a fantastic place I always use.

The Whitby Catch

I enjoy kippers! Have you ever eaten kippers?

Jon waited for me on the harbourside, I thought this would make a good photograph with the view of Whitby in the background!

By the time we arrived home I had indeed thought about going to Assen and to cut a long story short I can now say at 5.25pm we are now booked on the Ferry and have 2 nights booked in a hotel in Emmen! How is that for action!

Tomorrow I will book the GP Race Day Tickets.

This is who we support...

James Toseland

Not only is he British, infact the only Brit in the competition, but he is from yorkshire!

I have met James on a few occasions and will have to dig out my photographs and bore you all with them! LOL! Watch this space!

Talking of yorkshire.....this always makes me laugh! ENJOY!

Yes, a great weekend!

In Perspective!

Photo of the Day
15.03.08
A171

This was the original photograph I took last Tuesday.
I wasn't driving by the way! LOL!

This is the the A171 road which is the road which stretches to Scarborough and is the road we travel on nearly every day.
When we are retirning home on the motorbike I always know we are only a matter of minutes from our village.

I never tire of the open aspect of where we live, it is a constant source of inspiration and appreciation!

Whitby must be my favourite town.
The harbour was quiet on Tuesday!

I am not sure if we will get out on the motorbike this weekend as Jon has lots of work he must get out for Tuesday.

I will content myself with two more wedding commissions and a spot of spring cleaning!

The weather appears dull today, so an ideal opportunity to do the jobs I have planned.

Wilma ofcourse will be going out for a walk along the beach.

Talking of walking on the beach and bikes........

I really am thinking about a serious hairstyle change.

Having long hair is becoming such an ordeal.

I have to wear my hair in plaits when out on the bike as the wind plays havoc...

the same when I am out on the beach!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

I need some inspiration!

Skywatch Friday!

Who put the eye in skywatch??

With skywatch Friday, like ABC Wednesday,

I like to keep an open mind -to make matters more spontanious.!

On Wednesdy, Hubby had an appointment in Whitby.

The electricity supply was to be interrupted in our village for most of the day.

I thought I would look for inspiration for Skywatch Friday!

When this van appeared I couldn't believe my luck or should that be look!

It is now 8.05am and last night I tried for an hour to post here..

kept telling me my Blogger wasn't available!

Hence the delay, but hope you feel the wait was worth it! LOL!

Thanks Womtig for Hosting Today!