Sweet nothings

how you can tell its the school summer break.

• it hasnt stopped raining. oh this green and pleasant land....
• the puppy is worn out everyday. 
• we never have juice or cookies left at the end of a day 
• I've relearnt the words to every single disney DVD 
• Popping out for a coffee now costs fortune 
• its a darn mess 
• the laundry.... lets not mention the laundry!! 
• I'm a cranky person to be around.... 
• I make pages like this.....  {you can click on it to make it bigger}

so, are we having fun yet???!!!

wet grass

Todays walk, an excuse to break in my new wellies. And get more fresh air :)

I thought I'd take my macro/60mm lens out today, for a change. Its the one I crawl around the garden with normally. I thought it might be fun to do that some where else. 

And fly the mini kites the girls got as freebies from the New Forest show. 

See, you'd think a light bulb would have gone on in my head the moment I formed those two sentences together. but no... *sigh*

Because, wind - even slight breeze- and macro does not work. Tiniest movement like that and -whoosh- all blurry. However many settings you fiddle with. It was frustrating to say the least. 

I did get some, not many, plus, I guess, the fact its a 60mm came into its own 'cause I took 'normal' shots with it too. But I was craving my other lenses- as always. {Must get huge camera bag and take all of them everywhere} {Possibly. LOL}

This is moss. in case you couldnt tell!

and a toadstool...

and a Daisy :)

the mini free kites flew rather well considering. I have many pics of Daisy hurtling away with it streaming behind her. We only got tangled up around tree/fence/me, once or twice ;)

Oh and we took G too. She is always delighted to be woken up and taken on a walk !! *cough cough*

This particular walk is where we go for our fir cones  in December for Christmas decorating as there are about 17 different type of fir/pine/whatever they are called trees there.

 It was very cool to show the girls how the fir cones look now, as opposed to then. All green and sticky with sap.

*I*  think these here look like a space age city. The girls dont think so. They think I'm a little mad...

these look like beautiful decorations hanging like this, with sap icicles.

These are the only ones already looking like the girls expected. They are, when youre next to them, a most glorious rich shade of purpley brown.

Now maybe somebody can help me here...

This is Daisy playing a game I taught them today. One from my {dim and distant} childhood. 

These particular type of flowers{weeds} are big white open petalled ones. You squeeze lightly at the base of the flower and the white top part pops off {you can see it falling from her hand} 

You do this to the chant 'Granny, Granny, pop out of bed!' Anyone else remember that? Big Sis? do you remember where the heck we learnt that? LOL I should of taken better flower pics so someone can at least tell me the flowers name... I cant scrap it very well without more details please!!

Whilst crawling about the grass {wet grass} to take toadstool/butterfly/moss pictures I discovered my favourite angle of the children is sat down low. or lying down even. Yes I'm always doing embarrassing-the-children stuff to get the shot!

But look -

You have to check out Daisys face...LOL You see, she is a little lacking in team spirit; hahahaha. 

She was running first, then G and Mollie ran too -and overtook her. Upon seeing they would 'win' {tho it wasnt a race!} she promptly sat down and pouted....

Typical Daisy!

This is also from sat-on-the-ground level. Mollie laughing at me lying in the grass :)

She looks so much more recovered :) :) :) Be gone nasty Flu!!

Then of course, we got a sharp reminder that we are in the middle of a Great British Summer; it began to rain. Everyone shrieked and ran under the nearest tree.

 Well, everyone except me. I was too busy taking pictures of the rain of course!

Just a little rain at first.

and then..

A LOT!

I'm taking part in '30 days of' over on room 704

The idea is you 'sign up' to commit to 30 days of something. Like 30 days of not swearing. not eating chocolate. helping the homeless. only reading good books. Whatever.  Its a little shove where ever you may need it.

So, I'm going to walk for at least an hour everyday. Part of my get active more theory. Not trying to lose weight or even get 'fit' fit. Just get active more. I can do that. 

Plus Sully dog gets the last jab to freedom on Aug 10th, so we are walking  more then anyway. AND its good for the girls. Of course the photo taking/scrapbooking/mini book opportunity never occurred to me ;)

We've already done it for the last two days, altho it doesnt start til August, so we'll be 33 days of something instead :)

Anyone else wanna join in with something? Let me know if you're doing it too.

moooving on...

Hello sweet face!

Well I hope you meat eaters can bear that face.... how could you eat that?? LOL...

Today we went to the NFCS - the New Forest County Show. {*sigh* I love it there}

We were going to go, we werent going to go. Mollie was sick, Mollie was brighter, Mollie was sick.. Heavy rain forecast, no rain, heavy rain forecast, no rain...Mr Britguy was going to be home, he wasnt going to be home, he was going to be home... But finally -

We went.

Yey!

I'm sure it gets bigger every year... we still didnt get to see everything, even with a show ground map.

And even tho this year its midweek instead of at the weekend, and even tho the rain was threatening, it was busy.

this doesnt really show HOW busy. But its all I got folks...

Or show how everybody had a dog! A different breed at every ten steps I reckon! Very cool to see! 

NEXT year we can take Sullivan* {who hasnt had all his jabs yet, and isnt allowed out}

* assuming he turns out to be well behaved and not have a meltdown at sheep/cows/horses etc. I live in hope....

I surprisingly dont have that many photos. Okay for Joe public I probably do, but for me? not!!

I always had a bag, and a child's hand in mine, plus often a coffee, a shopping bag or an umbrella.... so camera was difficult.  

Shhh, dont tell anyone here, but I'd quite like to go by myself one time. Just to take pictures. 

I love love love the country life you get to see. The animals, the best of breeds, the cream of the crop. 

Like Cosmo here. Yes, his name was Cosmo. He was bigger than my car!! and I have a BIG car!!!

Cows, sheep, Pigs, Horses. fabulous wonderful horses. Once upon a time I used to live and breath horses. Now I miss them. I dont dwell on it daily, but oh, when I'm amongst them again ... I miss them. I miss that old life. 

Its glorious and painful all at once. 

Its okay, you dont have to understand.

You just have to look at the photos! ;)

I had to take a picture of this sign in the old farming life area..

and of this too.

Its a... reaper. reeder. thrasher. old farm machine. thing. that whirred and spun and totally needed its picture taken. :)

There were birds, ferrets, a whole tent full of rabbits... strange and weird rabbits. With fluff. Without fluff. long ears, short ears... you get the idea. I'm not mad about rabbits. But, boy, the people in that tent took their rabbits very seriously!

There were a lot of babies. Including these guys...

REALLY cute!

Lots of ribbons about.

My favourite part was a gun dog display, with the most intelligent dog trainer talk I've ever heard. He was so clever. And his dogs... were impeccably trained.

Their training school is about an hour away from me. I think that when Sully is big enough I'd love a lesson or two with them. wow. 

I'm actually pleased with my pup's training. even at such a tiny age {eight weeks and a half} He is getting the idea of how things work. Smart kid :) He will come when called outside and in. He will sit on command too. When you think  most people havent picked up their pup til after nine wks. and dont start training til weeks after that; I think he's genius in the making myself! 

YES I'm feeling a bit better :) Fingers crossed it keeps fading.  Maybe the fresh air blew it away somewhat. Maybe its the boxes of medicine we've got tho. Maybe its me being happily distracted by the animals today. Whatever it is - its about bloody time!!

linkarooney

lets link. :)

 As soon as July begins to wane, ,my thoughts turn to gift shopping. Yes Christmas. really.

I absolutely DESTEST gift shopping in december, with high prices and low stock. So this year, like last year, and the year before, I'm hoping to start early. 

However, we arent cash rich this year {LOL, still waiting for 'the' year} and I hate high street mass produced stuff. {Okay not all of it, but lot sof it} so I search out the weird and the beautiful different stuff. And I'm linking as I find it. then not only can I go back to all linkarooney {silly made up word. I like them} posts later on, but so can you!

rain macs. winter coats. HERE For the children, {altho... have you seen their ladies dept??} *swoon*

grown up modern simple. Hand made jewellery, here.

owls. for grown ups, for little people. for me! ;) here

teen quirky stuff. grown up quirky stuff. and paint your own ukueles I want for the girls:) HERE

Adopt an alien Here.

everything simple n plain HERE

for the little people here

for your friends here

and everything here  :)

I'm also starting my handmade stuff now too. So you cna follow along with the projects as they get under way.

AND if anyone says Christmas! oh my goodness, not yet. its so early. I cant even think...

please dont come crying to me in December ;)

Get up and fix it yourself

In the end a good day is not going to come knocking on the door is it? So I piled three girls in the car and we went out. Just for a bit, not amongst crowds of sick{er} people but just OUT. Cabin fever is not fun on top of whatever else.

We drove to Hockley, and did a little part of a walk I am intending to do fully one day. {When equipped with walking boots, backpack, husband-not-at-work and a dog-with-both-jabs-done}

Mollie did fine, she is weaker in energy than her normal self but doing good otherwise.

you cannot fail to be uplifted by such scenery and fresh air. 

I knew we needed it. That and the ice creams on the way home ;)

Thanks for the kind thoughts and emails from before. my inner grumbling self apologises for the big whinge ;)

feeling sorry for myself...

I'm in a bad mood. I'm tired but cannot sleep, I'm ill but not 'sick. My throat hurts. And my sinuses are imploding. or hurting a lot. whichever is the more effective descriptive.

I need a huge body overhaul, a massage, vitamin infusion and some TLC. But not today. 

Times like this its hard being everyones carer dont you think? For all the clichés, its a really  hard and thankless job. But we do it anyway. 

I am the very definition of run down, and if I let myself, I could sit and cry.  

The children are cranky and restless, {and Mollie is ill and as fed up as I am} The teens are extremely cranky and restless -lets face it unless they are out spending money with their friends they are not happy people. 

The puppy is aware I am cranky, and avoiding me. aside from when he peed on the floor that is. hello -timing,  Sully!! 

The media is driving me CRAZY with swine flu reporting. the good {actually I cant find any 'good' today}and the {horribly} bad about tamiflu, the must do's and do not's about flu treatment. The new figures of 100,000 people getting it a week. This new tonsillitis twist, the tamiflu vomiting.......thats all without even 'looking' for the news.

I'm so very tired of it all. 

I've cancelled meet ups with friends because we're all ill, but now feel fed up and stuck at home. I could really do with seeing them. {but cant. somebody somewhere needs to stop spreading this virus. I'm doing my bit}  

  I cant go shopping, I cant go walking. 

The girls and I have done some very feeble art crafts today. our heart is not in it. but we have to do something.

There are also the usual extended family members 'issues' that I just dont have the energy to deal with -or brush off- anymore.  Its all a bit crap. I'm up for moving to Scotland personally.

 Youre not supposed to write like this in a blog, but frankly its my blog etc etc....its called off loading. 

 Can you tell today hasnt got better yet?

Tomorrow is going to be freaking amazing.

See that title? How do I know that? 

Well, I'm working on the theory that if today was this *gosh darn* awful, then tomorrow must be wonderful to make up for it. 

If you dont subscribe to that theory, keep it to yourself. I'm clinging to all I can get here.

lets sum it up in pictures....

the girls and I are sick....

and it rained all day. hard.

Then Moll got really ill. and I had to go get her these...

:(

On top of the usual OMG of people being weird, the washing machine still not here, the puppy getting his jaw stuck {dont ask} the grocery store digging up its entire car park, and teenager stuff.

Hello summer holidays. Its been lovely but I have to scream now. 

oy.

lets go outside... {snails, puppies and macro}

the light was lovely in the garden this evening. 

I'd like to thank this little guy for making me go out into the garden every hour or so ;)

I get more fresh air AND a nosey willing companion whilst taking pictures! Bonus! 

Got some new macro shots, woohoo. Only taking macro shots makes me excited about photography all over again....

They dont even have to be that good. Its just the seeing something differently approach that gets me. 

It reminds me of those 'guess what it is' super close up photos they used to have in my sisters Jackie magazine. Anyone else recall Jackie magazine and their close ups? no? Just me then!

This hydrangea head looks like another world... {click to see it bigger}

I think its much prettier before the flowers are all open.

I might use one of these *big* in teen girls bedroom. We are apparently redecorating it this week. So she tells me!

Mind you she is always going on about how much she loves snails. 

So I could use these shots instead then...

;) I'm kidding. About using the picture in her room, not about her professed love of snails. 

This type is known, at our house, as a lemon swirly one. {You'll like our excellent use of technical terms} 

We get 'boring brown' ones and 'lemon swirly' ones in our garden.  

Yes,I'm feeling sorry for the brown shelled guys too.

but, anyway,  one day I'll figure out a 'use' for my snail pics.

Answers on a postcard please....

all the fun of the {steam} fair...

Dear Dad, 

I'm turning into you.

because I'm taking pictures of these things

and paid money to do so...

which is worrying.

Today we went to the Local steam fair. Here it is, most of it, viewed from the car parking.

I'm sure you know the type of thing, fairground, stalls, crafts, food, show ring, and {for this one} vintage tractors/steam engines/steam rollers/motorbikes and cars. 

I like to take pictures of this kind of thing. Its a photographer thing. I like the rust, or the gleam of the engine. I like the big old fashioned nuts and bolts.  the curves and abstract lines of it close up. I *love* the stamped fonts and hand painted writing on them. 

I should point out I dont know, nor care, anything about the engine/name/horsepower etc. 

However, as I was waxing lyrical to Georgia about the colours, size etc etc, I saw the same glazed over look appear on her face that I got as a child. When my Dad was taking photos of this sort of thing and telling ME about the engine power etc etc {sorry Dad} Hahaha. what goes around comes around eh?

This was the vintage bike line up....

All the local, and not so local, vintage motor bike enthusiasts lining their bikes up and showing them off. how very cool.

much to G's horror I said I wanted one.

what sounds better than taking off and exploring the country on something like this?

I love how there were ladies, gents, and even grandchildren riding these around the ring..

Altho, I'm not doing it if I have to dress like this.. {no offence guys}

If I cant have a vintage bike, I'd like one of these then.

a Shepherd's Hut, to put in the garden and turn into my art room. Summer House. Hide-from-the-kids-Hut. *sigh* 

I'll leave you with the POTD - not everyday I get to take a picture of this above my head!

anonymous

Ever feel like its just you against the world? That absolutely nobody notices you anyway?

For all the people I am surrounded by I am one lonely person most of the time. My fault, I'm like that.

This week I'm reminded I'm not so anonymous,. and you what? I like it!

One of my photos is here. Yey. {Spend a little time on the DLD group photo pool too, its *awesome*}

Plus two of my layouts are in here this month, one next month too :) {Sadly you have to buy the magazine to see them....} 

A little recognition is not a bad thing :)