Just popping in to say...

... I won't be blogging for a couple of weeks because it's holiday time again.  Bright and early in the morning I'll be heading... 

... toward this beautiful part of the world.

William wants to be in the car and on the road by 6 a.m. and that means a very early start.

I know I'm a lucky girl and I will go to bed tonight counting my blessings for sure. 

Also I am so relieved that all the mindless rioting that has been happening on England's streets just recently seems to be over.  It was horrendous to see such things happening in a civilised and free society.  I don't understand anybody who can behave like that and am glad that our justice system is cracking down swiftly and severely on the guilty and that our government is helping the innocent people who were adversely affected.

Kathleen.

 

Lazy Sunday Afternoon.

I'm having a quiet lazy day today.  It has rained more or less all day so no incentive to go outdoors.

Instead I've been doing some digital scrapbooking in Photoshop Elements and here is the page I've made.  This layout records the day in Newquay, Cornwall William and I spent with my sister and brother in law on our holiday together in June.  Details for this layout can be found on My Digiscrapping World blog.

A quiet day it is but not without its moments.  We're looking after Max overnight tonight.  Max is 13 weeks old now and still very much a baby.  A lively, tiny (we're frightened to death of standing on him), very cute, but un-housetrained furry baby!   As I type Max is curled up asleep next to my feet.  I think he loves me!

Kathleen.

A Good Day.

Yesterday was a good day.  I had a lovely day mooching round the shops in The Trafford Centre with my lovely cousin, Sylvia.  We hadn't seen each other for about four weeks so we had plenty to chat about.

We started the day off on the right note with elevenses at the new Starbucks behind the Trafford Centre.   That is, when Sylvia finally got there.  Poor girl drove around the area for 20 minutes before locating the car park.  The Starbucks building is visible from the road but Sylvia couldn't find her way into the car park.  In Syl's defence it is confusing - the car park is approached via the Drive Thru entrance but nowhere does it say that the car park is in the same direction!

The above Cath Kidston sales point is inside Selfridges.  Lovely stuff.  We did plenty of picking up, admiring and putting back down again in this department.

We did lots of browsing in and out of a handful of stores and by 2.30ish we both felt the need to take the weight off our feet and have some lunch.  Pret A Manger inside Selfridges fitted the bill.  Then of course there was still lots more browsing to do.

Here's Sylvia in John Lewis.  We had both bought birthday cards for members of each other's families and needed to write them out.  I spied this rather nice garden table and chairs set, it was just what we needed.  We made ourselves at home and wrote the cards out!  Cheeky, eh?  I'm glad we didn't leave any ink marks or anything, the table alone was priced at £695!

Sylvia and I'd had a great time together - shopping, nattering, laughing, coffee shopping and lunching and had just about decided it was time to go home when we both spotted Gareth.  He was being filmed by the BBC.   Gareth Malone is a choirmaster of note.  He has presented several television programmes, in some of which he has used his expertise and charm to turn groups of kids and adults who maybe didn't even know they could really sing into competent choirs.  Sylvia and I have both seen his documentaries and like him a lot.

Seeing Gareth Malone was a high note (pun intended) to end the day on and what a good day it had been!

Kathleen.

Afternoon in the Park.

Yesterday afternoon I was looking after my little grandson, Charlie.  It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and it was hot. I decided we'd go to the park.  We had been in the play area for a while then wandered over to the bowling greens.  There were several games in play.  We parked up on a bench.  I remembered that, many moons ago, my wonderful parents in law would go and watch the bowling on a sunny afternoon.  I think  now I see the attraction.  It's such a tranquil game and the people, mainly retired, with all the time in the world on their hands are only too happy to stop and chat.Charlie found a little playmate, a little girl who was there with her grandparents.  They ran around quite happily together and I was very happy to sit and watch and soak up a few rays.  Did I say it was hot?This cottage garden border was absolutely glorious.   I'd love a cottage garden, but then who wouldn't?  Actually I'd also love a cottage, maybe down in Devon somewhere, yep that would be very nice!

All in all it was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, a summertime simple pleasure for certain.

I'm joining Dayle at this week's Simple Pleasures party.

Kathleen.

I used Lynn Grieveson's Worn Photo Edges to give the photos an aged look.  Edited in Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.