LOTS TO SAY AND A FEW PHOTOS TOO

Well, its been a while again and now lots to catch up on......

ISLE OF WIGHT

Spent a few very lovely days there with the family together again after a couple of months. The weather was mixed but had a few glorious sunny days. We all went out to supper on Sat evening to celebrate our 25th anniversary and had a great evening, very relaxed and fun, playing cards and eating delicious food. I had pigeon breast, it was YUMMY!! The other highlight was clay pigeon shooting, I didn't do  it but everyone else did and on the whole was pretty good. Sam just got it and pretty much hit everything, Becca was also brilliant and managed to hit a double shot. Joseph also managed to hit one in the air which was quite a relief as he was in a bit of a strop!!
The house we stayed in was a bit sparse and chilly to say the least so we had to put in a HUGE list of complaints the next morning and so was much better since then!! Our bed was soooo uncomfortable we were both waking up complaining of pain in our hips, back, neck... Was blissful to get back to our own comfy one!!
The last couple of days it was just Sam ,jo and us so very peaceful. I had some intensive sketching coaching from Sam and did not improve one jot!! so I am retiring from that I think!!

BOROUGH MARKET

Had a day to ourselves today so after our compulsory row with Charlie we sent off to Borough Market by London Bridge. It is great there, really busy and buzzing and loads of great looking food. I was still feeling full from our celebratory meal at the Bluebird Restaurant so just had a wheatgrass zinger which is yum and also feels very healthy and good for you. There are amazing bread stalls with the most fantastic looking loaves that I aspire too. Lots of tasters and samples too.


MOVIES

 have been seeing a few movies this week..... First saw "Ruby Sparks" which we gave 6.5/10, quite amusing and an interesting idea. On the IoW saw "Skyfall", James Bond,Daniel Craig is very sexy and the film was actually very well done and exciting, a definite 8/10. Just home now from "Beasts of the Southern Wild".... what was that about.... we just didn't get it at all. Good acting esp from the 6 yr old star but I have no idea what the meaning of it was!!

Not really movies but we have been watching a TV documentary on the BBC about Icebergs. All very beautiful and interesting scenery but the most ridiculous investigations which presumably cost the license payer quite a few million. One of the unknown facts they discovered after diving around the base of the iceberg was that the water there was"salty and cold". That was something I just hadn't realised, that the sea in the Arctic Ocean was salty and cold... Good old BBC!!

NEW COAT

One last thing.... At last the weather has got cold enough for me to wear my NEW COAT..... its soooo lovely and warm and cosy and toasty... so here it is

DOG CONFESSIONS....

Saw a very funny e mail going around about the disgusting things dogs do so thought I would put my dogs in the spotlight.....

SEAVIEW HERE WE COME

Half term starts today and all getting excited about heading off to the Isle of Wight. The long lost children from university are coming home so we will all be together again. Seems like a long time since that last happened. The weather is looking bright and sunny on Sat so BBQ on the beach I think, though a strong cold wind will be blowing so need plenty of woolies to keep warm!

Also we will celebrate our silver wedding anniversary......... Hard to believe really. Just before we got married there was the HUGE hurricane  with trees down everywhere. Sussex was badly affected and for a while it looked lke we might not be able to go ahead with the wedding as there was no power for days running up to the big day.....  Luckily all turned out alright on the night though!!

DOGS.............

Sid chillin' and listening to some beats....!!!

Huxley and Sid ruining my fluffy cushions!!

Right then... off to start the day... visiting some teeny, teeny twins at home, both not even 2 kgs!! hope they have put on some weight and then packing and fiddling about.

Cooking a chicken pie for my boy when he gets back from Glasgow.... he said he can't wait for some decent food.......

SUNDAY EVENING!

What do you think of Sunday evenings in term time...????
This week is not so bad as half term starts on Friday and we are off to the LOVELY Isle of Wight, but Sunday evening always feels quite hard work... I do my ironing, now its only 4 of us there is hardly any and then an evening of reading the paper and knitting and Downton Abbey, so not all bad. But then........ before I know it the alarm is going off and its back to the slog!!

SOCIALISING

A lovely sociable weekend, meeting friends at Strada in Wimbledon on Friday, a lovely evening but felt quite ripped off by the restaurant, an average meal costing quite a bit with very mean portion sizes. Not sure if we will go there again....
Saturday evening was a dinner party at ours...10 including us. It was great fun, lots of laughs and good chat. I had developed a terrible cold and couldn't taste the food as I was cooking it, it tasted rather average to me but seemed to go down well with everyone else! Starters were warm chicken liver salad with homemade bread, followed by seafood lasange, then chocolate torte. I was sniffing and blowing my nose and Antonia was completely hoarse and couldn't speak at all. She normally has quite a bit to say so it was quite amusing to see her relatively silenced!!!

FILM MAKING
Joseph's friend was here this morning, having to make a film for his homework. It was very amusing... The Terrible Assassin  who kept failing in his mission. Joseph hadn't charged his camera so we had to stop every 2 mins to charge to camera, we managed though. Then we watched some old films the children had made which had me crying with laughter.. the Life of Alan Sugar was the highlight!!

EATING

I can't stop eating chocolate today... had some left over ginger chocolate and spiced chilli dark chocolate from last night and I have pretty much eaten half a bar of dark chocolate and am now feeling quite sick.... fast day tomorrow!!!

All in all a great weekend.... Oooh, forgot to say... had a lovely dog walk in Nunhead cemetery , really beautiful and overgrown Victorian cemetery . It was a typical Autumn day, mild but damp and windy, with the trees changing now.. beautiful!!

5 MINS BEFORE PIANO

I love this time of the week.... Every Wednesday I teach a breastfeeding class to pregnant women, I have done it for 18 years, pretty much every weds so that's quite a lot of talking and teaching. Its not that i dislike the class, I love trying to inspire women to breast feed there babies... its just I have done it so often that I am getting a bit fed up with it sometimes. Actually lately it has felt ok but some weeks it feels like I am speaking to a class of cardboard cutouts, no-one responds to me. That hasn't happened for a while , but it is so demoralising. The other thing that knocks me a bit is when women fall asleep..... I know often they are sleeping poorly at 38 wks pregnant but none the less it is quite off putting to see someone having a snooze when you are giving your all trying to make the class interesting and lively!!
Anyway at this time of day I have done it till next Weds and I have got my piano  lesson to look forward to.....

VERY POOR EFFORT.....

Well, what can I say.....no excuses really, I just haven't got around to sitting at the computer and writing, so many other things to do instead!

So what has been happening.....

KNITTING

Highlight of the year on Friday... the knitting Show at Ali Pali, north London. It is like walking into heaven when you arrive.... A HUGE hall full of stalls with wool, patterns , needles etc, Also sewing and fabrics and lots of crafty things too. It took all of 5 mins of arriving before I made my 1st purchase and then plenty more to follow.... A delight, now I just have to knit it all. There are just not enough hours in a day, I have always thought a 26hr day would be better......??? One of the patterns I got was for a boot topper, looks quick and easy, I think they will make good pressies! I am planning on a little Christmas sale when I can sell some of my handiwork so I will have to get busy with those clacky needles.....


PIANO

A few days ago after much swearing and practise I finally managed to crack a funny little rhythm on the piano, Its a little toon from Amelie and I am SOOOO thrillled to be able to play it. I am still loving my piano lessons and really feel that I am making some progress now. i am still fairly rubbish but it is getting better. I can play an Einaudi piece quite well which I feel is quite an achievement for me. If I can put the practise time in it really shows...


MIDDLE AGE SPREAD

Its been quite hard to get to the gym 4 times a week so after 2 or 3 wks of that it has dropped back to once or twice. I have , however, started a new diet when you pretty much "fast" for 2 days a week, just eating 600 cals for 2 days. Its not as bad as it seems as you always know that tomorrow you can eat that biscuit or whatever, when I stood on the scales this morning I had lost a couple of pounds , so I was pretty pleased. I think I probably eat more than 600 cals but its not much. I don't feel as hungry as I thought I would.

BOOKS

Have just finished a great book.... The Snow Child, almost a fairy tale. I shed a tear this morning, something I haven't done for a while when reading. Just before I have read the Song of Achilles, which I didn't like so much. And the one before that was GREAT.. the Memory Thief . Now I'am lost, i haven't got a new one lined up, will have to hunt through the book shelves.



Will try harder this week to write more regularly......

FUNNY OLD PARENTS

SKYPE

This is the photo that had Sam in stitches as  we skyped him.......

I have to admit we do look rather comical and old!! and very pleased with ourselves for sorting out all this modern technology!!

FLYING THE NEST                  

Everyone is leaving... the house is getting quieter and quieter.

Becca left today to go back for her final year at Leeds. Because of the fiasco with the cars her friends Amy and Rosie took her up! it was quite a challenge fitting all her room and 3 girls into quite a small car... she had to leave a box of food behind so my store cupboard is now bulging!!