Day 334 - November 30th

I went to start my car this morning to take Lara to school and it wouldn't start! We ended up walking and then later I called the AA. The battery is kaput! Could have been worse.

Day 333 - November 29th

Lara has been creating today. She got the idea from a book to make some little mice from card and string and then went on to also make cheese from more card and a mouse house from paper. She has named them all and apparently these three are called Ella, Jack and Biter. What an imagination!

Day 332 - November 28th

Today we opened our first Christmas card. It was from one of Wayne's former employees. He is always the first to send us a card.

Day 331 - November 27th

I went into town this morning to do a spot of shopping and whilst I was there I picked up several Christmas gift catalogues - another sign that Christmas is on its way. I'm sure that the catalogues have probably been available for quite a few weeks but as this was my first proper trip into town for a while it was the first chance I had to get them. Of course this year the Woolworth's gift catalogue isn't among the others but with those I picked up and all the others that come through the mail from various charities and online stores there are still plenty to look through for inspiration.

Day 330 - November 26th

It's been really windy again today but after many attempts I managed to photograph the leaves on the smoke bush. I love the dots on the leaves. Not sure if they are supposed to be there or if there's something wrong with the plant.

Day 329 - November 25th

According to my ipod there are only 30 Sleeps to Christmas.

Day 328 - November 24th

Today has been, in the words of Winnie the Pooh 'a very blustery day'. I braved the strong winds this morning to do some work for the council. Our village is very horsey IYKWIM. There are several equestrian centres and horses kept in most of the fields. Whilst I was parked I noticed some ponies in a field across the road so went over to see them. They were wrapped up nice and warm in their coats and were quite happy to pose for a photo. I liked this one best.

Day 327 - November 23rd

I bought this Christmas Cactus on Saturday. When I bought it the buds were all tightly shut. A couple of days in the warm and the buds are now opening. I love Christmas Cactus - so bright and cheerful. I suspect that the flowers on this one will be long over before Christmas arrives though.

Day 326 - November 22nd

Sunday lunch at home seems to be a dying tradition with the number of people sitting down to a roast together declining. On Sundays unless we are going out or if the weather is exceptionally hot, I always cook a roast dinner. Todays roast dinner consisted of roast pork, boiled potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding (we don't reserve Yorkshire Pudding just for roast beef in our house), roast veg (carrots, parsnips and red onion) and thick gravy. Mmmmm.

Day 325 - November 21st

Christmas seems to be fast approaching so today Lara wrote her letter to Santa. This year she's asked for Fluffy Goes Walkies, Go Go Pets, a Razor Spark Kick Scooter, I Love Ponies Pony's Day Out, Rubiks 360, a Hello Kitty DS Game, Bendaroos and a VTech Kidizoom Camera. I think shes being a little optimistic if she thinks shes going to get all of those but the letter has been written and put in its envelope and we will pop it in the postbox on the way to school on Monday. Hopefully she may even get a reply (if Royal Mail aren't too busy!)

Over the Top Award

Yesterday Dorothy gave me an 'Over The Top' Award. The rules were that I should pass the award on to five people, post on their blog to let them know, and then I needed to answer a list of questions in ONE word.

Here are the questions:

1. Where is your cell phone? … Charging
2. Your hair? … Straightened
3. Your mother?… Home
4. Your father?… Home
5. Your favourite food? … Chilli
6. Your dream last night?… Vomiting! (Gross I know but honestly I did)
7. Your favourite drink? … Coke
8. Your dream/goal?… Happiness
9. What room are you in?… lounge
10. Your hobby?… photography
11. Your fear?… confined-spaces
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?… here
13. Where were you last night? … home
14. Something that you’re aren’t?… high-maintenance
15. Muffins?… Double Chocolate Chip (OK so that was three words but I couldn't help it!)
16. Wish list item? … Hmmmm????
17. Where did you grow up? … Bedfordshire
18. Last thing you did?… drink
19. What are you wearing?… Jeans
20. Your TV?… on
21. Your Pets?… Cat
22. Friends? … widespread
23. Your life?… chaotic
24. Your mood?… relaxed
25. Missing Someone?… no
26. vehicle?… Rover 400
27. Something your not wearing?… glasses
28. Your favourite store? … Amazon
29. Your favourite colour?… pink
30. When was the last time you laughed?… tonight
31. Last time you cried?… last week
32. Your best friend?… hubby
33. One place that I go to over and over? … school gate
34. Facebook?… no
35. Favourite place to eat?… home

Unfortunately I can't think of 5 people to pass the award to so to anyone who reads my blog over the next few days that hasn't already been awarded an 'Over The Top' Award - consider yourself awarded! LOL

Day 324 - November 20th

Leaves! Just leaves in the garden.

Day 323 - November 19th

Tomorrow is BBC Children in Need Appeal. A couple of years ago I bought a Pudsey Bear cookie cutter from Lakeland but never used it. So, today in readiness for tomorrow I decided to make some Pudsey cookies. I didn't have the right colours to be able to ice the spots on the bandages in the right colour so had to settle for those shiny, metallic-colored balls instead.



I made some Pudsey cakes too. But they look a bit scary I think. More like 'Scare Bears'! LOL

Day 322 - November 18th

Lacking inspiration and the dark nights aren't helping so the only photo I have for today is of this door in the side of the tower of our parish church. I really like this door its so small and I love the weathered look.

Day 321 - November 17th

For some parents school homework seems to be a real issue especially if the children are quite young. It isn't something that really bothers me and I actually think our village school has got it about right when it comes to homework. Lara gets weekly spellings to learn and is expected to read a few pages of her school reader every evening. I quite enjoy sitting down with her quietly to listen to her read. In addition the whole school receive one piece of homework in the form of a 'learning log'. Each week the learning logs are handed out on a Friday and are expected to be completed a returned by the following Wednesday. Each week there is a task in the learning log. Last week there was a question "Why do we wear poppies?", the week before it was "What can you tell me about Autumn?" (the craft robo came in handy for cutting out autumn leaves for that one LOL) . The children aren't expected to spend hours on the learning log and can complete the task any way they want - through writing, drawing, diagrams, photographs, painting, collage, etc. and parents are encouraged to work with the children. Lara used to work on her learning log on a Friday as soon as she got it but recently because of other activities it has often been left until the day before it's due in. So, this evening we worked on this weeks task - "Where does electricity come from and how does it get to your house?"

Day 320 - November 16th

This week is Channel 4's 3D week so we have the silly specs at the ready.

Day 319 - November 15th

Berries in the garden - I think they may be on the honeysuckle plant.

Day 318 - November 14th

I scrapbooked today for the first time in two months. I went to the monthly crop at Stamp Addicts and managed to put together three layouts including this one which used a my October 31st 365 Photo of The Day. I photographed the layout when it was getting dark and the colours are much brighter IRL and doesn't really show up the glitter on the tree or title lettering very well.

Day 317 - November 13th

For my birthday a few weeks ago Christopher gave me some new lenses for my camera including a 0.45x wide angle macro lens. I decided to give it a try today. The results were a little disappointing and I don't think the rain helped. I certainly need to try again on a dry day. These toadstools/mushrooms growing in the front garden were tiny. They were about the size of my thumb nail.

Day 316 - November 12th

Today I took my autumn photo of part of the garden. I was disappointed that it doesn't look vastly different to the previous photos I took during the year but at least I have a record for each season.



Here are all four photos - Summer (5th August), Autumn (12th November), Winter (5th February) and Spring (21st April).

Day 315 - November 11th (Armistice Day)

Today was Armistice Day or Remembrance Day as its more commonly referred. By coincidence I had to visit the village War Memorial today to take some photographs. The council is trying to get the memorial cleaned and I needed some photographs to send to the stone mason so he could give a quote for cleaning it.

The wreaths laid on the memorial last Sunday are still there and will be until at least the end of this month.



A couple of years ago, an old soldier asked if the name of one of his comrades could be added to the memorial. William 'Arthur' Ingram a serving member of the Royal Artillery was hospitalized overseas during the second world war and whilst he survived to see the end of the war he died shortly afterward. His name was never recorded on the war memorial as he wasn't actually 'killed in action' but in 2007 at the request of his friend his name was finally added.

Unfortunately there was insufficient space on the actual memorial for his name to be added so an additional stone tablet was added in front of the memorial.

William 'Arthur' Ingram was my Great Aunt's Brother-in-Law.



As well as being remembered on the memorial, a small wooden cross in also now 'planted' in the War Memorial garden each Remembrance Sunday morning for William 'Arthur' Ingram along with one for all the other soldiers recorded on the memorial.

Day 314 - November 10th

"Why does it always rain on me?"

The weather forecast for today was rain. It actually stayed dry for most of the day until just before I had to go out to collect Lara from school. Why does it always rain at school pick up time? It's one of lifes mysteries.

Day 313 - November 9th

In September through his school Steven took a Bikeability course (The new Cycling Proficiency Test). There are three levels of training and the training offered on this occasion allowed the kids to reach level two. Last week Steven learned that he had achieved both level one and two and proudly brought home two certificates and badges.

Day 312 - November 8th (Remembrance Sunday)

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

Day 311 - November 7th

Tonight we went to a firework display at our village lower school. The fireworks were spectacular but I have to confess that the photos I took were abysmal. I took them on my phone so I guess it was to be expected. So I have cheated and my photo for today is a much better photo that I have taken from the pyrotechnic company's website.



Just to prove though that I did actually take some photos here's one of mine. Rubbish huh?

Day 310 - November 6th

Today we were given some logs. All we need to do now is chop them up and get them stacked ready for the winter so we can have some nice open fires if we get a cold snap.

Day 209 - November 5th (Guy Fawkes Night)

"Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot..."

Guy Fawkes Night tonight so we bought a couple of packets of sparklers for the children. They like to write their names in the air with them.

I'm terrible at taking sparkler/firework photos. Each year I promise myself I'll try harder but when it comes to it I just snap away and hope for the best.

Day 308 - November 4th

Between the showers it was quite sunny today. Henry ventured outside several times to soak up the sun.

Day 307 - November 3rd

Today has been a miserable day - grey with a few brief sunny spells.

Day 306 - November 2nd

Henry's a very poorly pussy cat.

Day 305 - November 1st

Today has been very, very wet and blustery. The leaves on this tree (I think its a lilac) have almost all been blown off and there's now a carpet of yellow on the grass.

Day 304 - October 31st (Halloween)

"Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble."

We travelled home today in time for Halloween. More or less as soon as we got home we started getting ready. The halloween decorations came out. These two cats are my favourites. Bought from TK Max a couple of year ago at Halloween they usually sit either in the lounge or the porch.




Before we went away I baked some fairy cakes and froze them so all I had to do when we got home was decorate them with some orange butter cream and some plastic Halloween bats and ghosts.



We bought back from Norfolk two pumpkins and Steven and Lara sat outside in the sunshine and carved them.

Out came the guts ........











........then the faces were drawn .............



....... and finally carved.







When it got dark they were put outside the front door With a plastic pumpkin that flashes on and off. (Not the best photo)



Each year I give the children some Halloween goodies. Before we went away I downloaded and printed onto card some Halloween Bag Toppers from http://www.sunflowerfriends.com/ and then attached them to the top of some cello bags which I had filled with various goodies from Mr Tesco and Mr Sainsburys.



Steven and Lara got dressed up and went trick or treating. (This is my photo of the day)



The treats they bought home should last them a week ....... but at the rate they are being eaten I very much doubt it!