Richborough Roman Fort

We had a nice morning out today with Jamie and Becca. We visited a roman fort and saw a viking ship.Richborough Roman Fort is the first place the Romans landed in Britain and the last place they left from. In roman times the sea came right up to the fort and it was a busy harbour, now the sea is 2 miles away. The rain cleared and it turned into a nice day.
This afternoon Ian mowed the lawn and I cleaned out the greenhouse and planted the hanging baskets.
sudoku - 500

swan's nest

We saw this swan on her nest and she very obligingly got up so I could take a picture of the eggs.
The children came round today and the boys looked after Grandad while Jenny, Becca and I went to the shops! I bought a new top and Jenny got 5 tops for her holiday, Becca got a little bag. Will stop now as Andrew is breathing down my neck putting me off!
sudoku - 471

more holiday snaps!

On Monday we had a lovely cruise on the Rhine, the weather was very hot and the scenery was lovely. You can see 3 castles at one point on the river and lots of quaint old buildings.

I took this picture just to prove I did come down on the chair lift. That was the easy part, trying to find my way back to the station without Ian was the hard part!

I was awake today at 5am so I had the washing done and on the line, bread baking and chocolate brownies made all before 8am! Ian and I then went to the shops to get some milk etc and then Jenny, Ed and the children came round, Becca looked very pretty with a new necklace and bracelet on, Jamie had written us a lovely letter and Alex hid some treasure for me to find!

Last night Ian and I watched War of the Worlds on dvd, the special effects were very good and quite scary so I enjoyed it, I have always thought Tom Cruise a good actor but a bit strange.

I read 2 books on holiday both by Danielle Steele, Secrets and Wanderlust. I don't normally like her books much but they were nice light reading and I read Secrets in 2 days!

sudoku - 473

Germany

I have not been on my blog this week as Ian and I have been to Remagen in Germany for the week. We had a great time and I will share some of our photos during next week. This is me having just taken a chair lift up a small mountain. It was great fun and the scenery was beautiful.

Piggy Tales Kit

My first kit from Sarah's Cards arrived yesterday. It is from the Piggy Tales Goldilocks and the Three Bears collection. Can't wait to use it.

In our garden

have been taking some photos of our garden for my journal but unfortunately I don't know what a lot of the flowers are called, if anyone can help please do!
Happy anniversary to Jenny and Ed today and David and Zen for Sunday.
sudoku - 636

grandchildren!!

Thursday is our day for having the grandchildren. We start with taking Becca to get Alex from his school then on to get Jamie from his. No that's not quite true, it starts early in the morning with Jamie asking if I will be getting them any chocolate and could he have a yorkie (I cant have one as I am a girl!)
On the walk back from school Jamie uses his charm to persuade us to go to the park to play football. Off we go and whilst I play with Alex and Becca, Ian is put through his football paces, eventually I take pity on him and we swap roles, I'm starting to kick the ball a bit better now! Today was quite a nice day as a young mum in the park thought Becca was my daughter as I looked too young to be a nanny!
We then go home for tea and another game of football in the garden followed by piggy in the middle. Ian is now recovering on the settee and I am relaxing on the computer!

Pencil Lines sketch 32

My scrapping angels kit arrived this morning and i used it to do the pencil lines sketch 32. I loved the papers and was keen to use a transparency. The photo of Jamie and mum was one I have wanted to scrap for a long time. It was taken at Stone Bay where the toilets are up about 75 steps. Mum being mum had to use them a few times and Jamie insisted on holding her hand and helping her up them, he can be very thoughtful sometimes!
The rain has held off today and Ian is outside mowing the lawn I should really go out there and do some weeding but my back is hurting (that's my excuse anyway)
I watched the first 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy and think I am going to like it, the operating theatre bits are a bit too graphic for Ian though.
sudoku - 455

Is it really a stormtrooper?

This is my layout for the uks May week 3 challenge, it was on a movie/sc fi theme so this photo was perfect for it, I love the expression on Alex's face!
Have been out clothes shopping this morning. I got a pair of trousers, 3 tops, a summer bag and a nightie. Ian bought some trousers and a jacket (had to force him to get the jacket!)
We watched Casino Royale the other night, I loved it, the best Bond film I have seen.
David has sent me the first series of the X Files and a new series called Grey's Anatomy which looks good.
The weather is miserable here so cold and wet, haven't been able to get out in the garden at all.
sudoku - 380

Happy Birthday Peter!

It's number 2 son's birthday today and it seems strange not having him here to celebrate although we did that last weekend, he certainly took full advantage of the chinese buffet!
What can I say about Peter? I was having him at home and had to be rushed into hospital at the last minute because they were worried about him, I can still remember the embarrassment of being carried down our garden steps in the dark with neighbours torches aimed at me to help the ambulance men!!
He was a stubborn little fellow and used to wind me up a lot but could also be a little darling! Sometimes I would take him out on his own and he would talk non-stop, being part of a large family I think he needed that time on his own.
As you've grown-up Peter I have loved the way you like to learn more and how knowledgable you are about all sorts of things. I love the patience you have, showing the children (and me!) how to play games and telling them about animals, football etc. When Andrew was showing me how to play sims it wasn't long before he said "wait till Peter's home and he will show you!"
Anyway, Happy Birthday Peter, love you xx

The Milkmen!

I've finally finished my cross stitch, it's called The milkmen and is by Pollyanna Pickering. It has taken me about a year, with other projects in between but I have got there in the end! Now I have to choose another one to do, always the best part!
It has been raining all morning here so not been out, made a chocolate cake and played on the computer instead. The children are coming round later so enjoying the peace while I can!

Joseph, Eurovision and a curry!

Not much to say today, got up at 6am and nearly finished my cross stitch (Jenny phoned and stopped me!) I was hoping to put it on here today but maybe will tomorrow. Ian showed me how to play a new "old" game, Age of Empires, I don't seem to have got the hang of it yet though as my people didn't seem to last long!
I went to the library and got a book by Alan Titchmarsh, all about his life, and 2 by Elizabeth Peters, detective stories set in Egypt.I then went round Jenny's for a couple of hours to play with the children.
Tonight we are getting a curry and watching Any dream will do and some of Eurovision,I usually get bored before the end!
sudoku - 447

A nothing sort of day!

Haven't really got much to say today. Friday mornings are always spent cleaning ready for the weekend and then I relax in the afternoon. The weather has not been too good but managed to plant out some of my dahlias which I have grown from seed and also some marigolds Ed gave me,Ian played around in his potato patch (shovelling soil on top of them I think!)
I finished another Agatha Raisin book (Fairies of Fryam) which I quite enjoyed, marks out of 10 - 7
sudoku today was 509, not so good!
I've had a little go on sims and made some jewelry to sell on EQ2! Been very busy really!
Ian and I watched Hustle which we had to record last night as the football was on, I really like that programme, it makes me laugh and has Napoleon Solo in it, another character I was in love with, in the sixties, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. for those of you who don't know what I am talking about. Shame he had to grow old though!

Biscuits for my boys! (sorry Jenny)

Good morning all, I feel like I've done a days work already and it is only 11.18 am!
I got up at 6.30am and did a big pile of ironing. I then changed the beds and did some washing. But my main aim today was to make my little boy (sons 2 and 3 can't have any after being so smug during the game last night) some shortbread and yumyums!
Peter and Andrew are going to David and Zen's for the weekend so I had to make something for them plus get some lemon curd and pear juice, only hope Andrew remembers it all tomorrow!
sudoku - 333

Jane needs....?

have just been amusing myself by playing this game, you type in your name and needs into google and see what comes up, apparently -

Jane needs - a shot of adrenaline (that always comes in useful!)
Jane needs - help (goes without saying)
Jane needs - to know (I am a bit nosey)
Jane needs - a makeover (Can they change my figure as well please)
Jane needs - applause, admiration and appreciation (I'm a modest little thing!)
Jane needs - maintenance (Oh dear it shows then)
Jane needs - to slow down (I cant get much slower)
Jane needs - a hug (always welcome)
Jane needs - a break (say no more)
Jane needs - to prevent the death of her team (watch out Secret Stash Strokers!)
and most importantly -
EVERYONE NEEDS A JANE!

Give it a try and see what you come up with!

SUDOKU 269!!!!!

Here are two more pages for my "When I grow up" book. The first is all about my love for The Monkees and the second is about how I hated school and wanted to leave!
I must really try and finish this soon and then get on with all my other projects. Have decided to write a list (don't laugh) of all the things I want to do and tick them off as I go, hopefully then I wont just keep thinking about doing something!
Really pleased with my sudoku score today as can be see from my title, ok I know it was an easy one!
Ian and I finished another series of West Wing at lunchtime, I'm always hoping Josh and Donna will get together, at the moment she is in hospital after her car was bombed and he is at her bedside.

May week 2 challenge

Here is my take on the May week 2 UKS challenge. We had to use 2 main colours, bling, fabric and a sketch they provided. Quite enjoyed this as it was nice and simple, like me! I've been listening to Sunset Boulavard and Police while I was doing it, thanks Peter!

Chocolate cake

This is my all time favourite recipe for chocolate cake. It came from Sue originally and I'm afraid I don't know where she got it from. It never seems to fail, apart from the time I put gravy powder instead of cocoa in it! I do have mad moments every now and then!
Pre-heat oven to 160 degs and line your sandwich tins
7oz S.R. flour
8oz soft brown sugar (can use caster)
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbs cocoa (not gravy powder)
4oz of marg
2eggs
5tbs evaporated milk, 5tbs water and 1tsp vanilla extract

put it all in mixer and mix!
spoon into 7" sandwich tins and cook for about 35mins

Icing - 21/2 oz of marg
8oz icing sugar
4 tbs cocoa
3tbs milk (it says hot, but I don't bother!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Melt marg, stir in cocoa and then icing sugar,milk and van extract
Beat until smooth and slap on the cake!

I made in for the weekend and it has gone already!!

a long journey to Serbia, with fridge!

Had a nice day yesterday although ate too much at the chinese buffet! We all really enjoyed the food there and certainly got our monies worth.
Sue and Rog turned up about 9pm for the night and we had a nice time catching up on things. Peter knows more about the area they are going to having been to Bosnia for a few months although all he seemed to remember was what he ate, wild boar being a favourite!
We were all up early to see them off (all being Ian and I) They were well prepared with a fridge full of goodies, so prepared they nearly drove off without it! They had stopped off at mums to say good-bye and managed to come away with her kettle, now she has to go out and buy another one, but being mum she insisted she had been going to do that anyway!
Ed, Jenny and the children then came round for a meal and to play football (Jamie), zoo tycoon (Becca) and schools (Alex)
sodoku - 409

DS Challenge

This is my attempt for the Design Collective challenge, creating a 12" by 6" LO.
I really enjoyed doing this until I went to take a photo and found I had Daviditis! I had put whose instead of who's on my journaling, that is why 2 flowers have suddenly appeared, not what I had intended, it made Peter laugh anyway!
I have been busy making a cake for Sue and Rog too but will share that recipe with you later!

A cold morning!

The weather has really turned here, there's a cold wind and no sunshine! Nevertheless we decided to walk down to the front via the butchers and greengrocers. Peter is here so that means sausages and ham sandwiches! He does like my fruit salad and yoghurt as well!
Peter has decided to do another degree and has just printed out his first part, World Archaeology. The focus of the course is the study of the development of human culture and societies. The principle themes are the beginnings of agriculture, developments of cities, states and empires, the major world civilisations, Egyptians, Mesopatamian,Classical, Chinese, Aztec etc. He wants to learn Greek and Latin so I have been trying to remember some Latin, not very sucessfully, I can't get past amo, amas amat! I did latin for 4yrs at school, sorry Mr Honan!
David has just got his course material for his physics degree, I gave that up as soon as I could! I sometimes feel I wasted my school years and part of me would like to do a course now. If I did it would be history or Literature, my children get their maths ability from their Dad, shame none of them seem to like what I'm good at!
I am proud of them though, even Andrew! He and Peter spent last night laughing at the choice of music I was putting on my computer until I threatened to buy a Celine Dion cd and that stopped them!

DC Class Funky Flowers!

This afternoon I thought it was about time I did another class from the Design Collective. This is one by Jennie Leon which I thought looked very pretty. So this is my interpretation a young photo of mum (I have blanked the surname out!) I used some old papers in my stash as I wanted a gentle old fashioned feel to the page (mum will be pleased)
Ian and I have started watching Dallas again on UK Gold, aren't we sad! We enjoyed it the first time round so thought we would watch it again, even though we have to put up with Andrew asking who shot J R everytime he walks in the room!
Peter is on his way home for the weekend which is nice we are all going out for a chinese which is something to look forward to!
sudoku - 430

Hurrah!

Well, I never thought the day would come when I would get excited over a dentist! Sorry to bore you all with the saga of my tooth, but the thought of spending over £1000 at the dentist has made me more upset than the actual drilling etc! Over the last few years it has been increasingly difficult to get an NHS dentist, I'm sure that is why I've had a few problems with my teeth, the cost of having it done privately. Anyway, Jenny and Ed pointed me to a website to find a local NHS Dentist, I phoned one up and I can go and register straight away (and get Ian to!) Although I'm still not looking forward to having anything done, at least I can now afford it!

heart badge!

This is my little felt heart badge I made this afternoon, doesn't it look sweet, it is inspired by shimelles latest idea on her blog. I have put it on my bear that David made for me at the Bear Factory (the little sweetie)
I have also done another layout, this time for the uks wk 1 May challenge
Apart from that it has been a fairly busy day today. We did our shopping this morning at Tescos, I always spend far too much money there so wont be going back for a while.
sudoku 401

sea spray!

Have decided to put off thinking about my tooth for a couple of days, by then hopefully the antibiotics will have kicked in, I will have to try and find another dentist as this one is far too expensive.
Ian and I decided to walk down to the front for lunch as it is such a nice day. Ian insisted he didn't need a jacket but I was sensible and took mine! The wind had really picked up when we got there and it was quite chilly (for Ian!)
We decided to have a jacket potato with coronation chicken and salad for lunch, about halfway through eating it I realised what had been bothering me, the sauce was cocktail sauce, fine with prawns but not as good with chicken, in typically British fashion we ate up and said nothing!
The sea looked really good today with the wind whipping up the waves, I took a picture but it doesn't really show how high the spray was going>