News update

I can't believe how long it is since I've posted on my blog. Soooo much has happened! My boiler died last week so the plumbers coming in next week to fit another one - oh joy! Clare and George have moved to a bigger house so we had all the fun of helping them move last week. It was a nightmare. It was absolutely amazing how much stuff they had managed to cram into a small two bedroomed terrace house. Allan has spent all week trying to sort out all the little diy jobs for them as unfortunately diy is not one of Georges strengths - bless him! He's a great bloke and I couldn't have wished for anyone better for my girl, although, he's lucky he got her too.

David finished a long term relationship in October, which was quite traumatic for everyone. He had been going out with Louise for 9 years and so she was very much part of the family. She had lived with us for a short while, been on holiday with us many times and spent lots of time with us at home. It was very strange when she stopped coming round but despite all this I think it was probably the best decision for both of them if a somewhat sad one.

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. Ours was really nice, however it was a little marred by the fact that Allans mum had that awful flu bug that was going round. She's 87 so it really took its toll, although if I'm honest I do think she milked it for all it was worth. She even rang one morning at 2.00 a.m. to tell us she couldn't sleep and Allan had to go and sit with her for the rest of the night. I must admit to feeling less than sympathetic at that point. Anyway she's OK now thank goodness.

My gorgeous grandaughters are still just as gorgeous. Jess had her 9th birthday in November. She had a disco at a local pub and at least 200 children went (well it felt like that anyway - it was actually about 30). The lady dj was wonderful, doing games with the kids and getting them on the stage to mime to a Hannah Montana song - as you can see Jess is really shy!

Millie is 11 months old now, can you believe how fast the time has gone. She is wonderful and its amazing how fast she can move, shuffling along on her bottom. Clares taking a year out once she's finished her degree this year so she can take some time doing the things with Millie she did with Jess as a baby and toddler. Clares been studying now for five years and during the last three years she started her degree, met and married George, had Millie and moved house. I think she deserves a bit of a break! Anyway here are some up to date pics of Millie moo - as you can probably guess the nickname relates to her personality. She's a gorgeous little madam who throws tantrums when she's not allowed to play with what she wants and screams as if she is being murdered when Clare leaves the room. Oh and as you can probably guess, she loves her food.

Stamps - not the rubber ones!

I've started stamp collecting. Yes, yet another hobby to keep me away from the housework. Why on earth would she do that, you migh ask. Well about 10 years ago I went to a car boot sale and someone was selling a carrier bag with a couple of full stamp albums and lots of envelopes full of loose stamps. I don't know why I bought them, I just did. Maybe I thought there would be a rare stamp in among them which would make me a rich woman. Anyway, I just stuck them in a cupboard, still in the carrier, and promised myself I would take time out to sort them out. Ten years on, here I am, doing just that and its great. There is so much history in them. Commemorative stamps from the coronation of George VI, centenary of postal history, 1948 olympics, royal weddings all sorts of stuff. I've bought myself an album, so away I go!


Isn't it fascinating how quickly babies grow and develop. Millie was six months old on Tuesday and I've been looking at all the photos since she was born. She's gone from 8lb 6 oz to 18lb 10 oz, she can roll over, sit up, smile, laugh, say dada, chew her toes and is desperately trying to push herself along with her legs, to reach things when she is laid on her tummy. She is so interested and happy and soaks up everything around her. Jess is totally besotted with her and loves it now Milly can sit (although she does still wobble over occasionally - hence the cushions) on the floor and play.

From this ...

to this, in just six months!

I can't believe it!

I just can't believe that I haven't blogged since the beginning of July! Its been one of those things that, lately, I just haven't got round to despite all my good intentions. But hey, ho! I'm working through the list slowly but surely.

I've been on holiday to Phwelli in Wales since I was last on here. I had a lovely week in a caravan with Clare and her family. It was wonderful spending a full week with my grandbabies, although I have to say by the time I came home I was shattered. I took some brilliant photos while I was away, especially when we went on the Snowdonia Railway, but scrapping them is yet another thing on my 'to do' list. I haven't even got any of the ones from Dorset done yet ... shame on me!

What I have done, however, is kept up to date with my CJ's. At the moment I am doing two - one with the Bubblyfunk gang and another one on UKS. As usual I'm loving it, but I have been very sensible this time and stuck at two CJ's, instead of going mad and trying to do four CJ's, ATC's on three forums and BF swaps all at the same time.

UKS CJ - Favourite songs. I made the front of the speaker from some bits I cut from a Mcdonalds Happy Meal box. The speaker looks a bit lop sided on this pic but I think its just that the page isn't flat as it didn't really look like that.

This was another UKS CJ - The title was Disney which gave me loads of scope. All the other pages are really colourful so I opted for black and white, which of course lent itself to the spotty doggies.

This is Rosie's BF CJ and I must admit to being a bit stuck to start with but once I got going I really enjoyed it. This layout is made up from stuff from the June BF kit, which I absolutely loved and have done loads with. The little birds always make me smile.

Ms Fox!

I had one of those once in a lifetime experiences the other evening. As some of you probably know we have a horse which we keep on a farm. Over the last year we have seen a number of foxes round and about, but as to be expected as soon as they see you they are off like a shot. The farmer is happy for them to be there as he and his neighbours don't have any livestock and the foxes keep the rabbits down. Anyway one of the foxes had babies a few months ago and the three of them have also been seen around the farm. Although two of them act just like the adults, one of them has become increasingly curious about humans and people have started throwing it odd bits of food. The other night Allan and I were up there and it came trotting down the lane to us. Allan had put a piece of left over fish from the fishshop in the van, just in case we saw it and the pics show what happened next.






I absolutely loved the experience of being so close to a wild fox, although as I said to Allan, I do have some doubts about encouraging it to be so friendly. I would hate it to get hurt or killed because it approached the wrong person.

More pics of Dorset

Here are some more pics of Dorset as requested by Karen from Bubblyfunk

A view from the coast road at sunset

Weymouth harbour

Weymouth harbour

Lulworth cove - such a beautiful tranquil place despite all the tourists. We sat there ages in the sun, just relaxing.

Durdle door - This was beautiful but I needed oxygen by the time I got back up to the car park at the top of the hill

West Bay
The Coast Road
Portland Bill
Portland Bill - We climbed down the rocks near the lighthouse to sit near the sea
Poole - this was the only day it rained

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Dorset Holiday

Its three weeks since I came on here and in that time I've been away on holiday for a week with Allan. We went in a little cottage in Mosterton, which is right on the edge of Dorset near the Somerset border. Its the first time we've been to Dorset and I'm afraid I've found somewhere that is even more glorious than my beautiful Norfolk. For those of you who haven't been to Dorset, it has stunning scenery, miles and miles of beautiful beaches - some lovely white sand, some shingle, really friendly locals who are very happy to tell you all the best places to visit and the most wonderful little villages right next to the blue, clear sea with thatched cottages and lovely pubs and restaurant. We had such a wonderful time and it was lovely to spend a full week together without the usual day to day pressures. We spend so little quality time together as Allan is a workaholic and is out of the house from 7.00 a.m. to at least 8.30 p.m. every day. By the time he gets home all he is fit for is his dinner and a snooze in the chair. I keep telling him that life is too short but that is the way he has always been so I don't suppose he'll change now.

View of Chesil Beach taken from Portland

West Bay

View from the coast road between West Bay and Weymouth

Fishermen on Chesil Beach at West Bradstock

Boscombe Beach, Bournemouth

I took loads of photos, so have decided to do a Dorset scrapbook of some sort to make sure they don't just sit on my computer for the next 20 years.

New printer

I treated myself to a new printer yesterday. The old ones been playing up for ages and as its about four or five years old I thought I deserved a new one. Its a Hewlett Packard all in one, so its got the scanner on it as well, which is really useful as it doesn't take up as much room as my separate scanner and printer did. The girl in the shop wanted me to have an Epson, but my last two printers have been HP and have been great so I didn't want to tempt fate by changing. Needless to say the new equipment has inspired me as new equipment always does and I've been scanning in my mums old photos. My mum passed away in November 2004, she had loads of old photos which I've got out on many occasions to sort but then got distracted, so they've gone back in the drawer in a pile. I came across one of my mum and dads wedding in 1950 and they looked really happy. It reminded me of how close they were and how much sorrow my mum endured when my dad died in 1974 at the age of 56, unbelievably just two years older than I am now.

I've also started doing a 'My book about me' 8 x8 scrapbook. I've done three double page layouts and its funny isn't it, its supposed to be about me, but two out of the first three layouts are about Allan and the family. I suppose I'll get to me later ... the story of my life! I just can't separate myself out, its just impossible, and to be honest thats just the way I like it.